Pfizer Sets Its 2008 Path For Analysts (PFE)

Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) has given some of its basic data points for its analyst meeting today.  For starters, the company has reaffirmed its guidance for 2008 that it previously offered.  That guidance is listed as a reported EPS of $1.78 to $1.93, adjusted diluted EPS of $2.35 to $2.45, $47 to $49 Billion in revenues, a cost decrease of $1.5 to $2 Billion, and free cash flows of $17 to $18 Billion.

We recently gave our own targets on this and others in the Dogs of the Dow, and also noted this one as a replacement to Merck for the first half of the year in a sub-sector of our "go to defensive stocks" that we assigned in the value stock sector.

The drug giant noted that it has 16 phase III programs today and that it plans to have some 24 to 28 trials in its Phase III pipeline by the end of 2009.  The pipeline covers targets from cancer to pain to diabetes and it also plans 15 to 20 regulatory submissions between 2010 and 2012.

It has also given three key compound targets that are expected to move from Phase II to Phase III:

• CP-751871, an IGF-1R inhibitor to treat gastrointestinal, genitourinary, lung and breast cancer;
• CP-690550, its JAK-3 inhibitor to treat rheumatoid arthritis, transplant rejection, psoriasis, Crohn’s disease, and asthma;
• PF-734200, its DPP-IV inhibitor for the treatment of diabetes.

Pfizer said that it added 7 clinical candidates, which includes 4 biologics, during 2007 in prioritized disease areas, and it currently has 26 biologics which span 8 therapeutic targets.  The company’s efforts in pain medicines have a total opportunity of roughly a $45 billion market that is still untreated.

Pfizer also confirmed that it is establishing a new group to focus solely on oncology in its Worldwide Pharmaceutical Group.  It also outlined its Asian pharmaceutical market opportunity, which was listed as $47 Billion and it wants to take its current 4% market share up to 6% there by 2012.

Pfizer’s comments should be coming out most of the morning and later today.  In early pre-market trading shares are up 1% at $22.50, and its 52-week trading range is $21.56 to $27.73.

Jon C. Ogg
March 5, 2008