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10 Fascinating Facts About Pfizer: From Penicillin to COVID-19 Vaccines 

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Pfizer is one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world, with a history that dates back over 170 years 

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The company was founded in 1849 by cousins Charles Pfizer and Charles Erhart, who started out as a small chemical company producing citric acid 

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Pfizer has developed many important drugs over the years, including penicillin, the first antibiotic, and Viagra, the first oral treatment for erectile dysfunction 

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Pfizer is also a leader in the development of COVID-19 vaccines, having developed the first authorized vaccine in partnership with German biotech company BioNTech 

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The company operates in over 150 countries and employs over 90,000 people worldwide 

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Pfizer has a research and development budget of over $8 billion, making it one of the largest investors in biomedical research in the world 

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In 2020, Pfizer reported revenue of over $41 billion 

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Pfizer has a long history of philanthropy, supporting causes such as education, health, and disaster relief through the Pfizer Foundation and other initiatives 

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In 2009, Pfizer agreed to pay $2.3 billion to settle allegations of illegal marketing practices for several of its drugs 

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In 2021, Pfizer announced its intention to acquire biopharmaceutical company Trillium Therapeutics for $2.26 billion

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