The Road from No. 20

Do you believe Pfizer's brand penetration in Russia is similar to its penetration in the West?

Absolutely. When I meet with governmental stakeholders, the first thing they say is that Pfizer is the largest pharmaceutical company in the world, and that they would definitely welcome Pfizer's initiatives in Russia. Brand recognition is very strong both outside and inside the industry here. This is a very valuable opportunity for the company to contribute to the further development of healthcare in Russia, in collaboration with the Government, business, and scientific organizations on the basis of trust and partnership.

Christian Holmer, Pfizer Country Manager

Why do you believe that Pfizer, the leader of the global pharmaceutical market, does not currently occupy the leading position in the Russian market, according to 2010 IMS statistics?

In part this can be related to the fact that we have not aggressively participated in the Specialty segment during the last several years. But now, after integration with Wyeth, with the combined portfolio including legacy Wyeth specialty care products, we have a good chance to occupy leading positions here.

Also, if you check IMS data, of the top 20 companies, we were the fastest-growing last year. So we are very quickly turning around our positioning. Our rapid growth continues this year, as well: we are the second-fastest-growing company after Roche.

It is true that your growth statistics are quite impressive. IMS reports 28.7% overall growth in 2010 over 2009, and you have gained nine positions in the hospital segment. What characterizes your growth strategy?

In general I attribute this fast and solid growth to our strong desire for doing business in Russia, our great product portfolio consisting of medicines that in some cases lead their therapeutic areas, and an innovative approach to partnerships with local business and scientific organizations that allow us to explore and participate in new opportunities in the Russian market. This principle—development of progressive partnerships in manufacturing, R&D, and capabilities building—is the core of our investment strategy named MORE THAN, launched earlier this year.

I think our growth is a combination of resources, structure, and strategic focus.