Description: Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer has an aging hit with its cholesterol drug Lipitor. Is the drug ready for retirement or can the company squeeze a little more life out of it?
Source: J. Rockoff, “Helping Lipitor Live Longer,” Wall Street Journal
Date: November 22, 2011
Article Link: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203710704577052350701638614.html
Questions for discussion:
- Does offering Lipitor through direct mail show strategic intent? Why or why not? Note: compare what Pfizer is doing with the Coca-Cola example in your text.
- What level of strategy (corporate, business, functional) does the Lipitor move represent? Why?
- Imagine you are top management at Pfizer. What aspect of a SWOT analysis would drive this decision? Put another way, the decision to offer Lipitor at generic prices is in response to what assessment?
- Evaluate the industry attractiveness for Lipitor using Porter’s Five Forces Model.
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