Pfizer Chairman and CEO Albert Bourla Speaks with Sara Eisen on "Squawk on the Street"
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- Category: Business/Financial News
- Published on Wednesday, 21 January 2026 10:29
- Written by CNBC Squawk on the Street
CNBC's Sara Eisen sat down with Pfizer Chairman and CEO Albert Bourla, from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where they discussed the global drug pricing, AI and drug discovery, China and Biotech. Below is an excerpt.
CNBC will broadcast live in Davos, Switzerland for coverage of the World Economic Forum, delivering real-time insights and interviews with global CEOs, policymakers, and influential voices shaping the world economy.
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Interview with Pfizer Chairman & CEO Albert Bourla
BOURLA ON DRUG PRICING IN US AND EUROPE
ALBERT BOURLA: The US price is going down is happening now. The US prices are going up in Europe, we will see.
EISEN: Why because?
BOURLA: Because we don't have an agreement with them and it's quite a cumbersome process but we try to influence.
EISEN: How do the economics work if they don't raise prices?
BOURLA: The economics work because once you understand that it's not sustainable anymore not to pay for innovation, then you have to choose, you have your product and pay for them like everybody else on that level of income.
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BOURLA ON CHINA BIOTECH WAKE UP CALL
BOURLA: I think they took, they cover a huge gap, and now they are really very close to us. And if they continue like that with this trend, they will become better than us. And I think, is wake up call for us. I think what we should try to do is to try to become better than them. Right now we are focusing most of our energy how to slow them down.
BOURLA ON AI AND DRUG DISCOVERY
BOURLA: AI is changing dramatically. The drug discovery and drug development actually is helping us to enter scientific renaissance that will help us to develop solutions for medicines, cancer, Alzheimer's, that we couldn't even dream
EISEN: But when do we get the first AI developed drug?
BOURLA: I think you will not see an AI solely developed drug, but you will see a drug that it is better and comes to the market faster because of the AI.
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CNBC's "Squawk Box" Anchors Joe Kernen, Becky Quick, and Andrew Ross Sorkin as well as "Squawk on the Street" & "Money Movers" Co-Anchor Sara Eisen will be live again in Davos tomorrow, Thursday, January 22. See guest list below.
Guests for tomorrow, Thursday, January 22, include: Demis Hassabis, DeepMind CEO, Dara Khosrowshahi, Uber CEO, Arthur Mensch, Mistral AI CEO, David Solomon, Goldman Sachs Chairman & CEO, Christian Ulbrich, JLL CEO & President, Bret Taylor, Sierra Co-Founder & CEO, Carl Eschenbach, Workday CEO, Will.i.Am, Philanthropist & Entertainer, Charles Scharf, Wells Fargo CEO, Mike Fries, Liberty Global CEO, Paul Hudson, Sanofi CEO, Michael Dell, Dell Technologies Chairman & CEO, Laura Alber, Williams-Sonoma CEO & President, Jamie Salter, Authentic Brands CEO.
