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:

1. 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.
2. What level of strategy (corporate, business, functional) does the Lipitor move represent? Why?
3. 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?
4. Evaluate the industry attractiveness for Lipitor using Porter’s Five Forces Model.