Pfizer Reports 2024 Earnings with $63.6 Billion Revenue and Concerns Over Innovation

On February 4, Pfizer announced its financial results for the fourth quarter and the entire year of 2024, revealing a total revenue of $63.6 billion, a 7% increase year-on-year. The fourth quarter alone saw revenues of $17.8 billion, reflecting a substantial 22% growth compared to the same period last year. However, the net profit for the year was $8.031 billion, with only $410 million generated in the fourth quarter, raising concerns among investors.

Pfizer operates through three main business segments: Generic Medicines, Specialty Medicines, and Oncology. The Generic Medicines division reported annual revenues of $30.135 billion, a 2% decline from the previous year. In contrast, the Specialty Medicines segment achieved $16.652 billion in revenue, marking an 11% increase, while the Oncology division saw a 25% rise in revenue, totaling $15.612 billion.

In the Generic Medicines segment, sales of the COVID-19 vaccine reached $5.353 billion, down 52% year-on-year. Despite this significant drop, there is no indication that the vaccine has fallen out of favor. Sales of apixaban totaled $7.366 billion, up 9%, although this product is nearing the end of its lifecycle. The pneumonia vaccine family generated $6.411 billion, a slight 1% decline. Notably, sales of Rimegepant, an oral CGRP inhibitor, surged to $1.263 billion, a 36% increase from 2022. The RSV bivalent vaccine Abrysvo brought in $755 million, down approximately $150 million from the previous year. Other pipeline products primarily consist of Pfizer's mature offerings, which generally experienced declines.

In the Specialty Medicines sector, the drug Vyndaqel for transthyretin amyloidosis proved to be a significant revenue generator, contributing $5.411 billion in sales, a remarkable 64% increase. However, sales of tofacitinib fell 31% to $1.168 billion due to patent cliffs affecting the immediate-release formulation. The older drug ilaprazole saw sales of $690 million, down 17% year-on-year. Surprisingly, the antibiotic sufentanil still managed to generate $637 million in sales, despite a 4% decline, with a significant portion likely coming from China. The injectable ceftazidime-avibactam (Sivextro) achieved $586 million in sales, a 16% decline, marking it as the first cephalosporin antibiotic to surpass $500 million in sales since 2010.

In the Oncology division, palbociclib generated $4.367 billion, down 8% year-on-year. Enzalutamide saw revenues of $2.039 billion, a 23% increase. The new drug padcev (enfortumab vedotin) performed exceptionally well, achieving $1.588 billion in sales during its first full fiscal year. Adcetris (brentuximab vedotin) also showed strong performance, with sales soaring to $1.089 billion. Axitinib generated $978 million, down 6%, while bosutinib remained stable at $645 million.

Despite maintaining its position as the world's largest pharmaceutical company, Pfizer faces significant challenges regarding innovation and pipeline development. As of December 2024, the company's market capitalization stood at $150 billion, significantly lower than competitors such as Eli Lilly ($750 billion), Johnson & Johnson ($350 billion), AbbVie ($320 billion), Novo Nordisk ($300 billion), Merck ($250 billion), Roche ($220 billion), Novartis ($210 billion), and AstraZeneca ($200 billion). The pressure to innovate and expand its product pipeline remains a critical concern for Pfizer moving forward.