(Reuters) -Pfizer said on Tuesday that Chief Scientific Officer Mikael Dolsten, a key figure behind the development of its COVID-19 vaccine, would step down after a more than 15-year career at the drugmaker.
Dolsten, 65 years old, was head of Pfizer (NYSE:)’s research and development after joining the company through its $68 billion acquisition of Wyeth in 2009. In 2010, he became the company’s chief scientist.
During his tenure, Comirnaty – jointly developed by Pfizer and BioNTech (NASDAQ:) – became the first COVID vaccine to receive approval from the US Food and Drug Administration in 2021, just 13 months after the trial began, in record time to approval. before any injection or therapy.
Pfizer also developed and launched multibillion-dollar products, such as the heart disease drug Vyndaqel and the blood thinner Eliquis, after the company struggled to stay competitive with other drugmakers.
“After more than 15 years as architects of Pfizer’s exceptional revival in science, research and development, Mikael and I recently discussed starting the process to search for his successor,” said CEO Albert Bourla.
The company said the process to find a successor is expected to take several months.
A new chief scientist would come at a time when billions of dollars in sales of COVID vaccines and treatments have disappeared as concerns about the pandemic ease.
The sharp decline in COVID product sales had also forced Pfizer to launch a program to cut costs by about $1.5 billion by the end of 2027, complementing a $4 billion cost-cutting plan it announced last year.
