Pfizer's hand forced


The death of cholesterol drug Torcetrapib, which caused Pfizer's (NYSE:PFE) stock to plunge 12% yesterday, has forced the company into purchasing growth rather than developing it. With the company's biggest drug, Lipitor, losing patent exclusivity in 2010, Pfizer must now hurry to acquire potential blockbuster drugs to maintain revenue, since its own pipeline is all but dried up. Company VP David Shedlarz said of the M&A market, "Now we will attack it with a greater sense of urgency."

This desperation means overpaying for possible franchise drugs, which means a potential early Christmas for takeover targets. One such target, according to TheDeal.com [subscription required], is Sepracor (NASDAQ:SEPR), which makes sleep and allergy drugs. Another possible target, according to W.R. Hambrecht, is Nektar Therapeutics (NASDAQ: NKTR), a biopharmaceutical company which makes drug delivery technologies.

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