Pfizer Chases AstraZeneca In Effort To Launch Biggest Ever Foreign Takeover Of British Company
The most obvious danger in these mergers is the ability of giant pharma t0 control prices. This is especially true in the US where prices are controlled by corporations lobbying Congress.
Less obvious is the effect on R&D. Companies like Pfizer have long built their portfolios by acquisition of products developed by smaller companies. When these acquisitions are made, Pfizer et al. strip the smaller company of tis research assets. As the big Pharma bubble eats the smaller firms, the incentive to invest venture capital will shrink, replacing innovation with strategic marketing deigned to minimize risk .