Goal’s health, not just profit
Wu Xiaobin, president of Pfizer Greater China, always has ambitious goals not only for himself but for the company he leads.
“When I was a sales representative in Bayer, my dream was to see the opening-up of the Chinese market. Now, Pfizer China’s dream is to raise the health condition of all the Chinese,” said Wu, who is in charge of the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan business of Pfizer, one of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies.
Wu could have chosen to become a scientist after receiving his PhD from the University of Konstanz, majoring in biochemistry and pharmacology. But he joined Bayer Corp, a Germany-headquartered drug company, as a sales representative.
He could have lived on in Germany comfortably, a goal for many Chinese students back then. But he chose to return to China because, in his words, coming back to China was promising.
He never regretted his decision. Since his return in 1996, Wu has headed three largest international pharmaceutical enterprises in China (Bayer, Wyeth and Pfizer).
“Pfizer will associate with other companies and institutions to reduce the prevalence rate of chronic diseases among the Chinese, so that the latter could become a healthy people,” Wu said, adding that the goal is far more difficult than any commercial competition.
The slow-disease – including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and malignant tumors -prevalence rate of Chinese residents almost doubled in a decade from 123.3 percent in 2003 to 245.2 percent in 2013, according to China Self-care Blue Book (2015-16).
The book also shows that more than 300 million Chinese have been diagnosed with chronic disease and the total number of “The medical need is very deaths from huge in Hotan. If our pilot chronic diseases project is conducted well in the has risen county, local residents’ health to 85 would be improved greatly, promoting percent. national stability and
At the strengthening national unity,” same time, said Wu. slow diseases “Furthermore, we could also have expand our successful mode to appeared as a the countries and regions participating trend in youth development, in the Belt and Road beginning to attack middleaged Initiative, such as Kazakhstan, people in their 40s and Uzbekistan, improving their 50s. people’s health, which is good
“For a country’s long-term for China’s companies going steady development, its people’s out.” health should be up to the As an international enterprise, national strategy level,” he said, Pfizer also collects experiences stressing that Pfizer wants to be and lessons of slow an essential part of China’s disease prevention and control healthcare system, and truly from other countries, and provides contribute to the society. useful reference material
For this commitment, Pfizer to Chinese institutions. China does a lot under the leadership Since 1990s, Pfizer China has of Wu, who said these accumulated more than 200 efforts were far more meaningful million yuan in cash and kind than the simple sales in China, in response to natural growth. disasters and various public
Suggesting that governments, welfare activities. companies and people “As a company, our aim is to should all take action, the company develop better instead of making sought to set up a cardiovascular money,” said Wu, stressing prevention and that Pfizer aims to innovate control system in China, so as to continuously to bring patients fundamentally reduce the morbidity drugs that can improve their and mortality of the disease. health significantly. “When I retire, I’d feel very
In cooperation with the satisfied if, by then, I help make National Center for Cardiovascular some improvements in China’s Diseases, Pfizer China set healthcare sector, such as up a grass-roots project last reducing the number of year to prevent cardiovascular patients with cardiovascular diseases in rural areas through diseases and less people overusing raising treatment level of doctors antibiotics,” said Wu. and relieving economic “Only if we fulfill our corporate pressures of local patients. social responsibility, revenue
Until now, 23 pilot counties is not a big problem on the have been supported by the basis of our high-quality products project. and efficient promotion,”
“If a closed circle was built in he said. a county, which is from prevention, With more than 10,000 screening, diagnosis to employees, Pfizer China has treatment, the morbidity and cumulatively invested more mortality rates would fall rapidly,” than $1.5 billion in China, said Wu. including setting up a research
Many people in Hotan, a and development center and county in Xinjiang Uygur introducing internationally autonomous region, die from advanced production facilities cardiovascular diseases, in some factories. because of their unhealthy lifestyle. The drug products not only He visited Hotan in early meet the demand of the Chinese August. market but exports.