We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience.
This includes personalizing content and advertising.
By pressing "Accept All" or closing out of this banner, you consent to the use of all cookies and similar technologies and the sharing of information they collect with third parties.
You can reject marketing cookies by pressing "Deny Optional," but we still use essential, performance, and functional cookies.
In addition, whether you "Accept All," Deny Optional," click the X or otherwise continue to use the site, you accept our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service, revised from time to time.
You are being directed to ZacksTrade, a division of LBMZ Securities and licensed broker-dealer. ZacksTrade and Zacks.com are separate companies. The web link between the two companies is not a solicitation or offer to invest in a particular security or type of security. ZacksTrade does not endorse or adopt any particular investment strategy, any analyst opinion/rating/report or any approach to evaluating individual securities.
If you wish to go to ZacksTrade, click OK. If you do not, click Cancel.
Pfizer's Cancer Drugs Deliver Growth Amid Competitive Pressure
Read MoreHide Full Article
Key Takeaways
Pfizer's oncology sales rose 7% YTD, led by Xtandi, Lorbrena, Braftovi/Mektovi and Padcev.
Seagen's ADCs like Padcev and Adcetris added meaningful revenues despite mixed trends.
Pfizer also advanced its oncology clinical pipeline with several candidates entering late-stage development.
Pfizer (PFE - Free Report) is one of the largest and most successful drugmakers in oncology. It boasts a strong portfolio of approved cancer medicines as well as a robust pipeline of cancer candidates with a focus on multiple modalities, including small molecules, antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) and immuno-oncology biologics.
The addition of Seagen in 2023 strengthened its position in oncology by adding four ADCs — Adcetris, Padcev, Tukysa and Tivdak. The acquired Seagen products contributed meaningfully to Pfizer’s revenues in 2024 and so far in 2025. Seagen also has some next-generation ADC candidates in its pipeline.
Oncology sales comprise around 28% of its total revenues. Its oncology revenues grew 7% year to date, driven by drugs like Xtandi, Lorbrena, the Braftovi-Mektovi combination and Padcev, which made up for declining sales of drugs like Ibrance.
Xtandi recorded alliance revenues of $578 million in the quarter, up 3% year over year. Inlyta revenues were $226 million in the quarter, down 9%. Lorbrena sales rose 28% to $268 million. Braftovi/Mektovi revenues were $202 million, up 17% year over year. New drug, Elrexfio, generated sales of $85 million in the third quarter, same as in the previous quarter. Ibrance revenues declined 5% year over year to $1.06 billion
Among the ADCs added from the 2023 acquisition of Seagen, Adcetris sales of $215 million declined 20% year over year due to competitive pressure in the United States. Padcev rose 13% to $464 million, driven by strong demand trends mainly due to market share gains in first-line metastatic urothelial cancer.
Pfizer has ventured into the oncology biosimilars space and markets six biosimilars for cancer. Revenues from oncology biosimilars were $315 million, up 10% year over year.
Pfizer also advanced its oncology clinical pipeline with several candidates entering late-stage development, like atirmociclib and sigvotatug vedotin. Regulatory applications seeking approval of sasanlimab and vepdegestrant are under review in the United States. By 2030, it expects to have eight or more blockbuster oncology medicines in its portfolio.
In July, it closed a global ex-China in-licensing agreement with China's 3SBio for exclusive rights to the latter’s dual PD-1 and VEGF inhibitor, which will strengthen its oncology pipeline.
Pfizer is also working on expanding the labels of approved oncology drugs like Padcev, Adcetris and Elrexfio, among others.
With solid contributions from key cancer medicines and continued pipeline progress, Pfizer’s oncology strategy remains a central driver of its long-term outlook.
For AstraZeneca, oncology sales now comprise around 43% of total revenues. Sales in its oncology segment rose 16% in the first nine months of 2025. AstraZeneca’s strong oncology performance was driven by medicines such as Tagrisso, Lynparza, Imfinzi, Calquence and Enhertu (in partnership with Daiichi Sankyo).
Merck’s key oncology medicines are PD-LI inhibitor, Keytruda and PARP inhibitor, Lynparza, which it markets in partnership with AstraZeneca. Keytruda, approved for several types of cancer, alone accounts for more than 50% of Merck’s pharmaceutical sales. Keytruda recorded sales of $23.3 billion in the first nine months of 2025, up 8% year over year.
Bristol-Myers’ key cancer drug is PD-LI inhibitor, Opdivo, which accounts for around 20% of its total revenues. Opdivo’s sales rose 8% to $7.54 billion in the first nine months of 2025.
PFE’s Stock Price, Estimates & Valuation
Pfizer’s stock has declined 4.7% so far this year against an increase of 17.8% for the industry.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
From a valuation standpoint, Pfizer appears attractive relative to the industry and is trading below its 5-year mean. Going by the price/earnings ratio, the company’s shares currently trade at 8.02 forward earnings, lower than 17.26 for the industry and the stock’s 5-year mean of 10.44.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2025 earnings has risen from $3.06 per share to $3.14, while that for 2026 has increased from $3.14 per share to $3.15 over the past 30 days.
Image: Bigstock
Pfizer's Cancer Drugs Deliver Growth Amid Competitive Pressure
Key Takeaways
Pfizer (PFE - Free Report) is one of the largest and most successful drugmakers in oncology. It boasts a strong portfolio of approved cancer medicines as well as a robust pipeline of cancer candidates with a focus on multiple modalities, including small molecules, antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) and immuno-oncology biologics.
The addition of Seagen in 2023 strengthened its position in oncology by adding four ADCs — Adcetris, Padcev, Tukysa and Tivdak. The acquired Seagen products contributed meaningfully to Pfizer’s revenues in 2024 and so far in 2025. Seagen also has some next-generation ADC candidates in its pipeline.
Oncology sales comprise around 28% of its total revenues. Its oncology revenues grew 7% year to date, driven by drugs like Xtandi, Lorbrena, the Braftovi-Mektovi combination and Padcev, which made up for declining sales of drugs like Ibrance.
Xtandi recorded alliance revenues of $578 million in the quarter, up 3% year over year. Inlyta revenues were $226 million in the quarter, down 9%. Lorbrena sales rose 28% to $268 million. Braftovi/Mektovi revenues were $202 million, up 17% year over year. New drug, Elrexfio, generated sales of $85 million in the third quarter, same as in the previous quarter. Ibrance revenues declined 5% year over year to $1.06 billion
Among the ADCs added from the 2023 acquisition of Seagen, Adcetris sales of $215 million declined 20% year over year due to competitive pressure in the United States. Padcev rose 13% to $464 million, driven by strong demand trends mainly due to market share gains in first-line metastatic urothelial cancer.
Pfizer has ventured into the oncology biosimilars space and markets six biosimilars for cancer. Revenues from oncology biosimilars were $315 million, up 10% year over year.
Pfizer also advanced its oncology clinical pipeline with several candidates entering late-stage development, like atirmociclib and sigvotatug vedotin. Regulatory applications seeking approval of sasanlimab and vepdegestrant are under review in the United States. By 2030, it expects to have eight or more blockbuster oncology medicines in its portfolio.
In July, it closed a global ex-China in-licensing agreement with China's 3SBio for exclusive rights to the latter’s dual PD-1 and VEGF inhibitor, which will strengthen its oncology pipeline.
Pfizer is also working on expanding the labels of approved oncology drugs like Padcev, Adcetris and Elrexfio, among others.
With solid contributions from key cancer medicines and continued pipeline progress, Pfizer’s oncology strategy remains a central driver of its long-term outlook.
Competition in the Oncology Space
Other large players in the oncology space are AstraZeneca (AZN - Free Report) , Merck (MRK - Free Report) and Bristol-Myers (BMY - Free Report) .
For AstraZeneca, oncology sales now comprise around 43% of total revenues. Sales in its oncology segment rose 16% in the first nine months of 2025. AstraZeneca’s strong oncology performance was driven by medicines such as Tagrisso, Lynparza, Imfinzi, Calquence and Enhertu (in partnership with Daiichi Sankyo).
Merck’s key oncology medicines are PD-LI inhibitor, Keytruda and PARP inhibitor, Lynparza, which it markets in partnership with AstraZeneca. Keytruda, approved for several types of cancer, alone accounts for more than 50% of Merck’s pharmaceutical sales. Keytruda recorded sales of $23.3 billion in the first nine months of 2025, up 8% year over year.
Bristol-Myers’ key cancer drug is PD-LI inhibitor, Opdivo, which accounts for around 20% of its total revenues. Opdivo’s sales rose 8% to $7.54 billion in the first nine months of 2025.
PFE’s Stock Price, Estimates & Valuation
Pfizer’s stock has declined 4.7% so far this year against an increase of 17.8% for the industry.
From a valuation standpoint, Pfizer appears attractive relative to the industry and is trading below its 5-year mean. Going by the price/earnings ratio, the company’s shares currently trade at 8.02 forward earnings, lower than 17.26 for the industry and the stock’s 5-year mean of 10.44.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2025 earnings has risen from $3.06 per share to $3.14, while that for 2026 has increased from $3.14 per share to $3.15 over the past 30 days.
Pfizer currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.