BUSINESS BRIEFING / PHARMACEUTICALS
Times Wire Reports
Pfizer Inc. said it would give away more than 70 of its most widely prescribed drugs, including Lipitor and Viagra, for as much as a year to people who have lost jobs since Jan. 1 and have been taking the drug for three months or more.
Pfizer stands to benefit too, by keeping its customers and getting a tax write-off that will cover much of the cost of the donations. The move also buys the world’s largest drug maker some goodwill as Washington looks to overhaul the healthcare system.
The 70-plus drugs covered in the program include several diabetes drugs and some of Pfizer’s top moneymakers, including cholesterol fighter Lipitor, painkiller Celebrex and Viagra for impotence.
