Trust, innovation and speed are natural allies at Pfizer

Generally speaking, people do not pay much attention to what company makes the vaccines or medicines they take.  But COVID-19 changed that.  The speed with which Pfizer brought the vaccine to market caused many to think about what company manufactured it, the science behind it, whether corners were cut, and whether what they were putting in their body could be trusted.  That was good news for Pfizer, a company whose culture of safety and quality are bedrocks of everything they do.

“We are always guided by our purpose: breakthroughs that change patients’ lives, and welcome scrutiny.  We want people to pay attention to the brand,” said Rady Johnson, Pfizer’s Chief Compliance, Quality and Risk Officer, in a recent interview. “We have nothing to hide, and we think it’s a good thing for people to know how high our standards are and how seriously we take what we do.” 

Johnson knows people wonder how Pfizer could have brought a COVID-19 vaccine to patients in a matter of months, when it usually takes years to develop a vaccine or medicine.  “People worry that we may have rushed and cut corners.  We don’t cut corners; we look around them.  We were able to do what we did because we knew what was at stake, we devoted unparalleled resources – budget and personnel – to the cause, and we were able to use state-of-the-art technology not previously available.  It’s also important to remember that we’re science-based, fact-based.  We make decisions on what we know and can prove, not on what we suspect or hope.  That’s a solid foundation for trust, too,” he said.

In his role, Johnson manages Pfizer’s rigorous Ethics and Compliance Program that focuses on a culture of integrity and drives accountability at all levels.  It is a program focused on trust, integrity and quality, requiring proactive risk identification, planning, mitigation and thoughtful execution.  Importantly, it has significant independence, which gives it standing and stature to reinforce what it means to act in the best interest of patients. 

“When a patient rolls up their sleeve to receive vaccination against some dreaded disease, or takes a pill to treat one, that’s an act of trust.  They take it for granted that the product is of the highest quality and is safe,” said Johnson. “Trust is the first pillar of our company’s purpose blueprint, because we know two things: If our products are not trusted, then it’s game over.  And we know that trust has to be earned.  It won’t come just because we say we’re trustworthy.  It comes because of how we do things.  Patients should not have to worry about the quality of what they are taking.  That’s our responsibility.  If a product bears the name Pfizer, providers and patients can trust that it has been rigorously researched, painstakingly developed, and meticulously produced.”  

 Pfizer does not view speed and quality as incompatible.  Johnson explained it this way: “Our culture regarding risk management and quality is such that increasingly, we can have both.  The reality is that our rigorous standards enable speed, and speed enables our rigorous standards.  It’s not an ‘or,’ it’s an ‘and,’ which is a good thing because patients are counting on us.  They do not have the luxury of time.  It is literally a matter of life and death.”

William Pao, M.D., Ph.D., Pfizer’s Chief Development Officer, a role in which he is responsible for all clinical development and advancement of Pfizer’s pipeline, also points to the role of technology in enabling more rapid discovery, development and manufacture of much-needed vaccines and therapies.  As a physician, an oncologist by training, he knows that disease does not wait, and neither can patients.  “What technology is enabling us to do today was unthinkable just a short time ago, and that’s great news because as we say, every minute counts, and time is life,” said Pao.  “Nowhere is that truer than in clinical trials, where we are working hard to make them more accessible to patients so that enrollment goes more quickly, thereby shortening the entire process.  I view every new vaccine and medicine as an innovation, which we should celebrate, because we know they are changing patients’ lives.”

Lynn Bottone, Pfizer’s Senior Vice President of Quality Operations and Environment, Health and Safety, who is deeply immersed in the manufacturing process, points out that the company has been focused on quality for more than 170 years.  “It’s who we are.  It’s in our DNA.  From research to manufacturing to shipping, and at every stage in between, safety and efficacy are the cornerstones of everything we do,” she said.  “Delivering the highest quality innovate medicines to patients is a responsibility we take very seriously because every patient is part of someone’s family.” 

Bottone is also an advocate for transparency.  “What we do is incredibly complicated and sophisticated, but the more people know, the more they can trust. It’s great if more people now have a better understanding of the breadth of the industry and what goes into research, discovery, development, and manufacturing. Even after regulatory approvals, we continue to study safety and efficacy,” she said.

Despite some arrows being shot at the biopharmaceutical industry of late, Johnson wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.  “It’s a true privilege to be in healthcare,” said Johnson.

As proud as Pao is about what Pfizer accomplished, his focus – like Pfizer’s – is on the future.  “What excites me most is not what we’ve done, but what we can do,” pointing out that, as a result of a decade of research, Pfizer expects an unprecedented launch of as many as 19 new medicines and vaccines in 18 months that address respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), migraine, prostate cancer, and sickle cell disease, among others.  He is especially looking forward to what Pfizer will do in oncology.  “Cancer treatments may be the fastest-moving area of medicine.  Almost every day new approaches are radically changing treatments,” he said.  He is eagerly looking forward to the completion of Pfizer’s recently announced plans to acquire Seagen, a global biotechnology company that discovers, develops and commercializes transformative cancer medicines.  “If we can impact cancer the way we impacted COVID-19, the world will be a much-changed place for the better,” said Pao. 

To learn more about Pfizer and their commitment to breakthrough treatments, as well as ethics and compliance, visit pfizer.com.