Pfizer earnings prompt calls for deal-making

Pfizer posted basically flat first-quarter earnings, prompting suggestions the largest US drugmaker needs to do deals in order to improve its growth prospects.

Sales of breast cancer drug Ibrance, which is expected to face competition from rival Novartis’s Kisqali, rose more than 58% to $679m (€622.8m), just missing the consensus estimate of $682m.

Sales of rheumatoid arthritis drug Xeljanz and pneumonia vaccine Prevnar also fell short of analyst estimates.