Currently operating in more than 175 markets with more than 96,000 employees, Pfizer is committed to providing the medical world with innovative products that contribute to human health and quality of life. Founded in the USA in 1849, Pfizer achieved a milestone with the mass production of Penicillin, referred to as the wonder drug, in 1942. In 1951, the company marked its international expansion by founding its businesses in the UK, Cuba, Mexico, and India. With four mergers from 2000 to 2011, Pfizer grew and diversified its portfolio and also increased its power in biotechnology, vaccines, and health products, becoming the world's leading biopharmaceutical company.
Pfizer started its operations in Türkiye in 1957, and now produces nearly 75 percent of its total product line in Türkiye with around 1,000 employees. Pfizer has conducted more than 143 clinical trials and has invested more than USD 20 million in Türkiye. So far, more than 3,000 Turkish physicians have undergone training programs provided by Pfizer.
Pfizer has an annual R&D budget of over USD 7 billion, making it the leader among pharmaceutical companies when it comes to R&D expenditures. Pfizer carries out over 80 projects in eight research centers across the world, as well as engaging in more than 1,000 ongoing R&D collaborations globally.
As part of its commitment to developing pharmaceuticals in Türkiye to improve the country's R&D environment, Pfizer completed numerous projects from 2009 to 2012. The company signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Republic of Türkiye Prime Ministry Investment Support and Promotion Agency of Türkiye (ISPAT) in 2009 in order to deepen the quality and number of R&D activities in Türkiye and to develop an environment that would support pharmaceutical innovations This led to the opening of the Pfizer R&D office in Hacettepe Technopolis in Ankara. Various programs for fostering pharmaceutical R&D were planned and carried out to bring together researchers from Hacettepe University with Pfizer's global R&D network.
In November 2012, Pfizer launched a facility in Türkiye for the production of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, one of the most significant biotechnological products in the world. This facility in Türkiye was Pfizer's third such facility in the world at the time (the other two being in the USA and Ireland) where this vaccine would be produced. The vaccine, which is also included in the National Vaccine Calendar of the Turkish Ministry of Health, is referred to as the first vaccine produced in Türkiye starting from the formulation stage with the use of state-of-the-art technologies. The facility, which produced 10 million doses of vaccine as of 2016, has the capacity to meet the vaccine needs of adult risk groups.
Having invested over TRY 8 million in education and health-oriented social responsibility projects over the last decade, Pfizer Türkiye continues to contribute to the welfare of Turkish society. With the launch of the “Get Old Campaign", it aims to raise awareness in individuals about living and aging better, as well as to provide people with the information they need in many areas for a better, healthier, and more fulfilling life. This includes informing on such topics as disease awareness, right lifestyle choices, and protective measures.