Other
Research and development expense
Pfizer Research and development expense decreased by 22.3% to $2.49B in Q1 2026 compared to the prior quarter. Year-over-year, this metric grew by 13.0%, from $2.20B to $2.49B. Over 4 years (FY 2021 to FY 2025), Research and development expense shows relatively stable performance with a 0.2% CAGR.
Analysis
StatementIncome Statement
SectionOther
CategoryGrowth
SignalContext dependent
VolatilityModerate
First reportedQ1 2013
Last reportedQ1 2026May 5, 2026
How to read this metric
Higher spending typically signals a commitment to long-term innovation and future product pipelines, while significant cuts may signal a shift toward short-term profitability.
Detailed definition
This metric captures the investment in creating new products, improving existing technologies, and advancing internal ca...
Peer comparison
Standard metric for technology and hardware firms; highly comparable to R&D spending at peers.
Metric ID:
other_research_and_development_expense_excluding_acquire_88a3cdHistorical Data
20 periods
| Q2 '21 | Q3 '21 | Q4 '21 | Q1 '22 | Q2 '22 | Q3 '22 | Q4 '22 | Q1 '23 | Q2 '23 | Q3 '23 | Q4 '23 | Q1 '24 | Q2 '24 | Q3 '24 | Q4 '24 | Q1 '25 | Q2 '25 | Q3 '25 | Q4 '25 | Q1 '26 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Value | $2.24B | $2.68B | $3.45B | $2.30B | $2.82B | $2.70B | $3.62B | $2.51B | $2.65B | $2.71B | $2.82B | $2.49B | $2.70B | $2.60B | $3.04B | $2.20B | $2.48B | $2.55B | $3.21B | $2.49B |
| QoQ Change | — | +19.7% | +28.5% | -33.2% | +22.3% | -4.2% | +34.1% | -30.7% | +5.7% | +2.4% | +3.8% | -11.4% | +8.1% | -3.6% | +16.8% | -27.4% | +12.7% | +2.6% | +25.9% | -22.3% |
| YoY Change | — | — | — | — | +25.7% | +0.6% | +4.9% | +8.9% | -5.9% | +0.6% | -22.1% | -0.5% | +1.8% | -4.2% | +7.8% | -11.6% | -7.9% | -2.0% | +5.6% | +13.0% |
Range$2.20B – $3.62B
CAGR+2.3%
Avg YoY Growth+0.9%
Median YoY Growth+0.6%
Business Segments
| Segment | Q2 '24 | Q3 '24 | Q4 '24 | Q1 '25 | Q2 '25 | Q3 '25 | Q4 '25 | Q1 '26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biopharma | $2.29B | $2.36B | $2.73B | $1.94B | $2.11B | $2.19B | $2.95B | $2.14B |
| Total | $2.70B | $2.60B | $3.04B | $2.20B | $2.48B | $2.55B | $3.21B | $2.49B |
Research and development expense at Other Companies
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Pfizer's research and development expense?
- Pfizer (PFE) reported research and development expense of $2.49B in Q1 2026.
- How has Pfizer's research and development expense changed year-over-year?
- Pfizer's research and development expense increased by 13.0% year-over-year, from $2.20B to $2.49B.
- What is the long-term trend for Pfizer's research and development expense?
- Over 4 years (2021 to 2025), Pfizer's research and development expense has grown at a 0.2% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), from $10.36B to $10.44B.
- What does research and development expense mean?
- Spending on innovation and product development.