Pfizer Australia
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Owned |
USA |
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Pharmaceuticals manufacturer and distributor
Pfizer have been operating in Australia since 1956. They operate three manufacturing plants in Australia.
Company Ownership
Pfizer Australia Pty Ltd | AUS | website | ||||
Pfizer Inc ![]() owns 100% of Pfizer Australia Pty Ltd |
USA | website | ||||
Pharmaceuticals World's largest research-based pharmaceuticals firm. Its products include Viagra, Benadryl and Sudafed. Bought Wyeth in 2009 for US$68 billion. In 2019 Pfizer and GSK merged their consumer healthcare divisions. |
Company Assessment
PRAISE | CRITICISM | INFORMATION | ||
Pfizer Australia Pty Ltd | ||||
Human Rights Law Centre's 2022 report, "Broken Promises: Two years of corporate reporting under Australia's Modern Slavery Act", examines statements submitted to the Government's Modern Slavery Register by 92 companies sourcing from four sectors with known risks of modern slavery: garments from China, rubber gloves from Malaysia, seafood from Thailand and fresh produce from Australia. Modern slavery statements are analysed to see if they comply with the mandatory reporting requirements, identify or disclose obvious modern slavery risks, and demonstrate effective actions to address risks. This company's modern slavery disclosure statement received a rating in the 41-60% range. The average score was 44% and the highest score was 89%.
Source: Human Rights Law Centre (2022) |
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Pfizer Inc | ||||
In 2022, the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) asked companies to provide data about their efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate climate change risk. Responding companies are scored across four key areas: disclosure; awareness; management; and leadership. This company received a CDP Climate Change Score of A-.
Source: CDP (2022)
America's Most Responsible Companies 2022 by Newsweek and Statista recognises the Top 500 most responsible companies in the United States. Companies were evaluated in three areas: environmental (waste, energy use, etc.), social (leadership diversity, employees and philanthropy) and governance (transparency and economic performance). This company received a total score of 85.3/100, ranking 7th in the Health Care & Life Sciences sector, and 47th overall.
Source: Newsweek (2021)
The 2021 Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Benchmark ranks 17 large pharmaceutical companies on their efforts keep medicines and vaccines available, despite the rise of drug resistance. This company was identified as a leader amongst large research-based companies, receiving a score of 81%.
Source: Access to Medicine Foundation (2021)
This company is listed as having best practice on a report card on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality in corporate America.
Source: Human Rights Campaign (2021)
This company received the sixth highest score in the Access to Medicine Index 2022, a ranking of the world's 20 largest pharmaceutical companies on their efforts to increase access to medicine in developing countries. The ranking is based on their scores in each Technical Area, with Product Delivery weighted most highly, followed by R&D and Governance of Access.
Source: Access to Medicine Foundation (2022)
In 2022, the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) asked companies to provide data about their efforts to manage and govern freshwater resources. Responding companies are scored on six key metrics: transparency; governance & strategy; measuring & monitoring; risk assessment; targets & goals; and value chain engagement. This company received a CDP Water Security Score of B.
Source: CDP (2022) |
This company appears on Global Exchange's list of "Most Wanted" Corporate Human Rights Violators (Alums) for killer price-gouging.
Source: Global Exchange (2018)
As You Sow's 2019 report, Mining the Disclosures, is a deep analysis of 215 companies' human rights performance in relation to sourcing conflict minerals from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). This company's score was 1.7% (Weak).
Source: As You Sow (2019)
In 2015 Pfizer experimented on thousands of animals in its own laboratories and many more in experiments in contract testing laboratories.
Source: PETA (2015)
This company appears on PETA's (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, USA) 'Companies That Do Test On Animals' list, signifying that they manufacture products that are tested on animals at some stage of development.
Source: PETA (2022)
The Green Supply Chain Corporate Information Transparency Index (CITI) evaluates consumer-facing companies that have a sizeable supply chain in China. The evaluation uses government supervision data and public information to assess the environmental management of their supply chains in China. This company received a score of 12.14/100 (retrieved 24 Nov 2023).
Source: IPE (2023)
As You Sow's 2022 report, 'Road to Zero Emissions', assessed the progress of 55 of the largest U.S. corporations in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in line with the Paris Agreement's objective of limiting global average temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, which requires achieving "net zero" emissions by 2050. Companies are graded on: climate related disclosures; GHG reduction targets, and GHG reductions. This company received an Overall Net Zero grade of D.
Source: As You Sow (2022)
In 2016 this company agreed to pay US$486 million to settle litigation accusing it of causing big losses for shareholders by concealing safety risks associated with its Celebrex and Bextra pain-relieving drugs. The settlement ended more than 11 years of litigation.
Source: New article (2016)
A 2018 report by Oxfam shows that four pharmaceutical corporations, including this one, systematically hide their profits in overseas tax havens. This activity could deprive developing countries of more than $100 million every year. These corporations deploy massive influencing operations to rig the rules in their favor and give their damaging behavior a veneer of legitimacy. Tax dodging, high prices, and influence peddling by drug companies exacerbate the yawning gap between rich and poor, between men and women, and between advanced economies and developing ones.
Source: Oxfam (2018)
In 2019 several pharmaceutical companies finally settled a 2005 lawsuit which claimed the companies fudged wholesale drug prices to increase Medicaid reimbursements. In all, the state of Illinois received a combined $648 million over the course of that litigation. This company paid US$60 million in the 2019 settlement.
Source: news article (2019)
This company is on OpenSecrets.org's list of "Top Donors", a list of the 100 biggest givers in US federal-level politics since 1990. Companies on this list lobby and spend big, with large sums sent to candidates, parties and leadership PACs. This company comes in at number 93 on the list, with contributions totalling $30,954,692 between 1990 and 2020.
Source: Open Secrets (2020)
In 2022 the median pay for a worker at this company was US$75,536. The CEO was paid 437 times this amount. Exorbitant CEO pay is a major contributor to rising inequality. CEOs are getting more because of their power to set pay, not because they are increasing productivity or possess specific, high-demand skills. The economy would suffer no harm if CEOs were paid less (or taxed more). In contrast, the CEO-to-typical-worker compensation ratio was 20-to-1 in 1965 and 58-to-1 in 1989.
Source: AFL-CIO (2023)
In 2021 this company agreed to pay US$345 million to settle a class action lawsuit that claiming Pfizer and Mylan plotted to maintain EpiPen's monopoly by issuing large rebates to insurers and Medicaid plans that refused to cover competing medications. The class action was filed after the price of EpiPens rose from $100 to $600 in under 10 years.
Source: Top Class Actions (2021)
This company is on OpenSecrets.org's list of "Top Spenders on Lobbying", a list of the 20 organizations that have spent the most trying to influence US government policy. This company comes in at number 15 on the list, having spent $12,630,000 on lobbying in 2020.
Source: Open Secrets (2021)
This company received an S&P Global ESG Score of 35/100 in the Pharmaceuticals category of the S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment, an annual evaluation of companies' sustainability practices (last updated 23 Sep 2022). The rankings are based on an analysis of corporate economic, environmental and social performance, assessing issues such as corporate governance, risk management, environmental reporting, climate strategy, human rights and labour practices.
Source: S&P Global (2022) |
In 1992, Greenpeace listed a Pfizer plant as one of the ten worst polluters in the South East of England. The plant had breached its discharge consent four times since the beginning of 1991 and also discharged ten chemicals for which it did not have a permit, including organochlorines. Pfizer was the target of a Greenpeace campaign in 1988 for dumping industrial waste in Eire, and a US group listed Pfizer as one of the top fifteen corporate contributors to global pollution, based on 1987 figures. (Noted here as 'additional information only' due to age of report).'
Source: McSpotlight (1992)
A 2015 report by Sum Of Us reveals that the largest pharmaceutical corporations are complicit in fuelling one of the most serious public health crises facing society today. Pharmaceutical companies, including this one, are sourcing active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) from companies in China which are responsible for massive environmental pollution from its antibiotic factories. Pfizer is among the well-known brand names which has sourced antibiotics for human and animal use from NCPC, a company that stands accused of discharging pharmaceutical effluent into the environment and numerous other serious manufacturing deficiencies.
Source: Changing Markets (2015)
In 2009 Pfizer copped the largest US criminal fine ever (US$2.3 billion), in the settlement of allegations that it had illegally marketed its painkiller Bextra and other drugs. Pfizer also faces lawsuits over other drugs, namely Reglan, Zoloft and Effexor. [Listed under Information due to age of court finding]
Source: New article (2009)
Named one of Multinational Monitor's '10 Worst Corporations' in 2006. [Listed under Information due to age of report]
Source: Multinational Monitor (2006)
In August 2012 Pfizer agreed to pay a US$60 million court settlement after allegedly bribing foreign officials in Europe and Asia to speed up drug approvals, and give preference to Pfizer drugs in their countries' public health programs, which in turn generated billions of dollars for the world's largest drug company. [Listed under Information due to age of court finding]
Source: news article (2012)
This company is listed on the Federal Contractor Misconduct Database as having 11 instances of misconduct since 1995 amounting to US$3.4 billion in penalties. Instances include illegal marketing, false claims, and whistleblower retaliation.
Source: Project on Government Oversight (POGO) (2014)
As You Sow's 2019 report, 'The 100 Most Overpaid CEOs', reveals the 100 most overpaid CEOs from USA's 500 largest public companies (as determined by the S&P 500 list). This company's CEO, Ian Read came in at number 44 on the list, having been paid US$27,913,775 in 2018. According to the report, "Most CEOs have come to be grossly overpaid, and that overpayment is harmful to the companies, the shareholders, the customers, the other employees, the economy, and society as a whole."
Source: As You Sow (2019)
As listed on the We Mean Business website, this company has committed to the following climate action initiatives: adopt a science-based emissions reduction target.
Source: We Mean Business (2021)
Compassion in World Farming is a UK-based organisation which works with the European food industry to encourage and reward commitment, transparency, performance and innovation in the field of animal welfare. This company's UK subsidiary won their Good Egg Award in 2012.
Source: Compassion in World Farming (2012)
The United Nations Global Compact asks companies to embrace, support and enact, within their sphere of influence, a set of 10 values in the areas of human rights, labour standards, the environment, and anti-corruption. However it's non-binding nature has been widely criticised, and many signatory corporations continue to violate the Compact's values.
Source: UN Global Compact (2020)
This company is a member of the AMR Industry Alliance, a coalition of biotech, diagnostics, generics and research-based pharmaceutical companies set up to provide sustainable solutions to curb antimicrobial resistance (AMR). AMR is an increasingly significant threat to global public health which puts at risk the effective prevention and treatment of a wide range of infections.
Source: AMR Industry Alliance (2021)
In 2022, the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) asked companies to provide data about their efforts towards removing commodity-driven deforestation and forest degradation from its direct operations and supply chains. Responding companies are scored across four key areas: disclosure; awareness; management; and leadership. This company received a CDP Forests Score of C-.
Source: CDP (2022)
California, the UK and Australia have all enacted legislation requiring companies operating within their borders to disclose their efforts to eradicate modern slavery from their operations and supply chains. Follow the link to see this company's disclosure statement.
Source: company website (2017)
OpenSecrets.org tracks the influence of money on U.S. politics, and how that money affects policy and citizens' lives. Follow link to see this company's record of political donations, lobbying, outside spending and more.
Source: Open Secrets (2020)
JUST Capital polls Americans every year to identify the issues that matter most in defining just business behaviour. For their 2023 rankings JUST Capital asked a representative sample of 3,002 Americans to compare 20 different business Issues on a head-to-head basis, producing a reliable hierarchy of Issues ranked in order of priority. Issues are organised under the headings Workers, Customers, Communities, the Environment, or Shareholders & Governance. JUST Capital then define metrics that map to those issues and track and analyse the largest, publicly traded U.S. companies. This analysis powers their rankings, in which this company ranked 263rd of 951 companies, and 20th of 41 Pharmaceuticals & Biotech companies.
Source: JUST Capital (2023)
The 2022 Nature Benchmark ranks 400 companies across eight industries on their efforts to protect our environment and its biodiversity. The companies were assessed using three measurement areas: governance and strategy; social inclusion and community impact; and ecosystems and biodiversity. This company ranked #39/400, with a total score of 29.6/100.
Source: World Benchmarking Alliance (2022)
The Corporate Research Project's Corporate Rap Sheets are dossiers summarising the most significant crimes, violations and other questionable activities of the world's largest and most controversial companies. Follow link to see this company's Corporate Rap Sheet.
Source: Corporate Research Project (2018) |
Company Details
Type | Wholly-owned subsidiary |
Revenue | 432 million AUD (2018) |
Employees | 970 (2018) |
Aus Manufacturing | Yes |
Contact Details
Address | Level 15-18, 151 Clarence St, Sydney, NSW, 2000, Australia |
Phone | 02 9850 3333 |
info.australia@pfizer.com | |
Website | www.pfizer.com.au |