Interesting year? No kidding. The bottom line is that 2009 is going to be tough as old boots for the US pharma industry. Continuing patent expirations, fewer new product launches and a tighter economy all point towards growth rates flatlining or even shrinking in mature markets such as the US. Be interesting to know how much that 4-5 percent global figure is being boosted by fast growth in emerging markets?

If 2009 is going to be a good year for Pharma, why are so many of the big companies cutting jobs? It would be nice to believe in these positive predicted growth figures. Unfortunately, wishing for something doesn't make it come true, no matter what Walt Disney says.

I think pharma companies are somewhere in the middle - some are in trouble, and cutting jobs, and others are doing well. Let's hope the financial turmoil gets rid of those that are bloated and inefficient and gives some of the smaller, more innovative companies room to grow.

Interesting times indeed - I was shocked today when I saw the announcement that Pfizer bought Wyeth for $68 billion. What an extremely interesting development. This is a sign of the times that we are sure to see more of as we move through 2009.

If you want to read the details here's the link to the article I read on Forbes.com

http://www.forbes.com/2009/01/26/pfizer-wyeth-update1-markets-equity-cx_lal_0126markets17.html

Glaxo are shedding thousands of jobs - not good for my wife who works for the company in London.