Pfizer CEO Urges US-China Collaboration In Pharma; Stock Drops For 7th Day As Traders Hold For Dividend Payout

Pfizer, Inc. CEO Albert Bourla said on Tuesday that the U.S. pharmaceutical industry should work more collaboratively with China, whose “dramatic speed, cost and scale” have reshaped global drug development. 

Speaking at the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations Gala in New York, Bourla said China’s biopharma ecosystem now represents about 30% of global drug development, with around 1,200 novel drug candidates in progress, up from just 60 a decade ago, according to a Reuters report.

Pfizer’s stock fell 0.9% to $24.52 on Tuesday, marking its seventh straight session of losses, before inching up 0.2% in after-hours trading.

His comments come amid escalating trade tensions and new U.S. restrictions targeting Chinese pharmaceutical firms. The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill last year seeking to curb business with China’s drugmakers, though it stalled in the Senate. A new version has since been reintroduced.

Despite the policy friction, U.S. and European pharmaceutical companies continue to rely on China’s scale and efficiency to support innovation. Earlier this year, Pfizer agreed to license an experimental cancer therapy from China’s 3SBio Inc for $1.25 billion upfront and up to $4.8 billion in potential milestone payments. 

Bourla noted that Chinese biotech firms accounted for nearly one-third of all large-pharma licensing deals last year, and can recruit patients for clinical trials up to five times faster than U.S. companies.

Pfizer’s comments come weeks after its new drug pricing deal with the Trump administration, which features steep price cuts on several drugs and a $70 billion U.S. investment in exchange for a three-year tariff exemption under the TrumpRX platform. 

Analysts, including Bank of America, BMO Capital, Cantor Fitzgerald, and Raymond James, downplayed the financial impact, saying the agreement was largely symbolic, left earnings guidance unchanged, and could serve as a model for other drugmakers navigating policy pressures.

Additionally, Pfizer (PFE) reported positive topline data from its Phase 3 HER2CLIMB-05 trial evaluating Tukysa (tucatinib) in combination with standard maintenance therapy for patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer on Tuesday. 

The study met its primary endpoint, showing a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in progression-free survival compared with placebo. 

On Stocktwits, retail sentiment was ‘extremely bullish’ amid a 122% surge in 24-hour message volume.

One user said they were unfazed by the ongoing slide, viewing current prices as a rare opportunity to buy an undervalued stock offering a 7% dividend and a long-term hold for their retirement portfolio.

Another user expressed frustration over the continued decline, noting they hold more than 600 call options and missed the recent rally, while adding that only niche sectors like rare earths, quantum, and nuclear seem to be performing well.

Pfizer’s stock has declined 2.6% so far in 2025.

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