Pfizer faces pressure to clinch deals as sales lag

Pfizer reported another quarter of sluggish sales, increasing pressure on the drugmaker to make a deal and replenish its pipeline. One of Ireland’s largest exporters, Pfizer employs 4,000 people in eight facilities in Cork, Dublin, and Kildare.

The New York-based company, valued at €180bn, said it still expects to make a decision on the future of its consumer health unit during the year. Investors have been anxious about getting an update on the business, which was valued at $20bn (€16.5bn). Its fate has been unclear since March when two potential buyers pulled out of the bidding process. Pfizer began reviewing the business, whose products include Advil and heartburn reliever Nexium, in October.