Pfizer Inc. announced today two strategic appointments in the leadership of the Worldwide Research and Development organization effective immediately. Michael D. Ehlers, M.D., Ph.D., has been selected as Group Senior Vice President and Head of BioTherapeutics Research & Development and Site Head for Pfizer’s Cambridge and Boston, Massachusetts locations. Dr. Ehlers will report directly to Mikael Dolsten, M.D., Ph.D., President of Worldwide Research & Development. In addition, John Lin, M.D., Ph.D., has been selected as Senior Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer of Rinat. Dr. Lin will report directly to Robert T. Abraham, Ph.D., Group Senior Vice President for Oncology-Rinat Research & Development.

Dr. Michael D. Ehlers to Lead BioTherapeutics R&D

In his expanded role as Head of BioTherapeutics Research & Development, Dr. Ehlers will continue to be Chief Scientific Officer of Pfizer’s Neuroscience and Pain Research Unit and he will oversee the entire BioTherapeutics Research & Development organization. In connection with this appointment, the Inflammation and Immunology Research Unit will move to Pfizer’s PharmaTherapeutics Research & Development organization. Dr. Ehlers will be based in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

“It’s a privilege to see extraordinary scientific talent rise to the opportunity to grow within our organization and lead the future of Pfizer’s key R&D areas” said Dr. Dolsten. “Mike is a world-class talent who has made significant contributions in advancing our neuroscience research efforts and is now poised to lead BioTherapeutics Research & Development into the next era of potential breakthroughs for patients, not only in neuroscience and pain, but in rare diseases, and also at Pfizer’s Centers for Therapeutic Innovation.”

Prior to joining Pfizer in 2010, Dr. Ehlers spent 12 years as the George Barth Geller Professor of Neurobiology and as a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator at Duke University. He holds M.D. and Ph.D. degrees from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Dr. Ehlers is the recipient of numerous awards, including the 2013 Thudichum Medal from the Biochemical Society in the U.K., 2003 Eppendorf & Science Prize in Neurobiology, the 2007 John J. Abel Award in Pharmacology, the 2007 Society for Neuroscience Young Investigator Award, and the 2009 National Alliance for Schizophrenia and Depression Distinguished Investigator Award. Dr. Ehlers has authored more than 90 scientific papers, has served on the Editorial Boards of Annual Reviews in Medicine, Annual Reviews in Pharmacology and Toxicology, the Journal of Neuroscience, the Journal of Biological Chemistry, and Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience, and sat on advisory committees of the National Institutes of Health.

Dr. Ehlers will succeed José-Carlos Gutiérrez-Ramos, Ph.D., who has decided to return to the biotech sector in the Cambridge area.

Dr. John Lin to Lead Rinat

Rinat is Pfizer’s biotechnology unit within the Worldwide Research & Development organization, located in South San Francisco, California.

“John’s expertise in advancing differentiated antibody programs in both oncology and non-oncology indications is at the core of Rinat’s proven track-record of bringing potential therapies such as tanezumab, ponezumab and bococizumab into the clinic,” said Dr. Abraham. “I am fully confident that he will continue to leverage Rinat’s unique entrepreneurial culture to help us build a strong portfolio of cancer immunotherapeutics, and to help optimize their development in combinations with targeted therapies. These contributions from Rinat will be critical to our overarching goal of delivering potential durable or even curative therapies to cancer patients.”

Dr. Lin joined Rinat in 2002 and continued in his role when the biotechnology company was acquired by Pfizer in 2006. Since 2011, he has served as Vice President of Experimental Medicine at Rinat with responsibility for overseeing immuno-oncology and discovery and validation biology efforts with particular expertise in cellular, molecular and in vivo neurobiology. Dr. Lin received his medical and doctoral degrees from National Taiwan University and Harvard University, respectively, and also completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Genentech Inc. He has authored 25 peer-reviewed journal articles and reviews, and serves on the Grant Review Committee for the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.

Dr. Lin is succeeding Dr. Jaume Pons who left Rinat earlier this year to become President and CEO of Alexo Therapeutics.

Dr. Charles Mackay Joining Pfizer as Head of Inflammation and Immunology Research Unit

As previously announced, Charles Reay Mackay, Ph.D., will join the company as Chief Scientific Officer for Pfizer’s Inflammation and Immunology Research Unit. Professor Mackay will report directly to Rod MacKenzie, Ph.D., Group Senior Vice President of PharmaTherapeutics Research & Development, and will be based in Pfizer’s R&D hub in Cambridge. Professor Mackay will join Pfizer from Monash University in Australia, where he is a research fellow, and the Charles Perkins Center within the Faculty of Medicine at Sydney University, where he was Chair of Diabetes.

Pfizer Inc.: Working together for a healthier world®

At Pfizer, we apply science and our global resources to bring therapies to people that extend and significantly improve their lives. We strive to set the standard for quality, safety and value in the discovery, development and manufacture of health care products. Our global portfolio includes medicines and vaccines as well as many of the world's best-known consumer health care products. Every day, Pfizer colleagues work across developed and emerging markets to advance wellness, prevention, treatments and cures that challenge the most feared diseases of our time. Consistent with our responsibility as one of the world's premier innovative biopharmaceutical companies, we collaborate with health care providers, governments and local communities to support and expand access to reliable, affordable health care around the world. For more than 150 years, Pfizer has worked to make a difference for all who rely on us. To learn more, please visit us at www.pfizer.com.

PFIZER DISCLOSURE NOTICE: The information contained in this release is as of May 6, 2015. Pfizer assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements contained in this release as the result of new information or future events or developments.

This release contains forward-looking information about Pfizer’s research and development and Pfizer’s portfolio of cancer therapies that involve substantial risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. Risks and uncertainties include, among other things, the uncertainties inherent in research and development, including, without limitation, the ability to meet anticipated clinical trial commencement and completion dates as well as the possibility of unfavorable clinical trial results, including unfavorable new clinical data and additional analyses of existing clinical data; whether and when new drug applications may be filed in any jurisdictions for any of these portfolio products; whether and when such applications may be approved by regulatory authorities, which will depend on the assessment by such regulatory authorities of the benefit-risk profile suggested by the totality of the efficacy and safety information submitted; decisions by regulatory authorities regarding labeling and other matters that could affect the availability or commercial potential of any of these portfolio products; and competitive developments.

A further description of risks and uncertainties can be found in Pfizer's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014 and in its subsequent reports on Form 10-Q, including in the sections thereof captioned "Risk Factors" and "Forward-Looking Information That May Affect Future Results", as well as in its subsequent reports on Form 8-K, all of which are filed with the SEC and available at www.sec.gov and www.pfizer.com.