Pfizer Inc named Garry A Nicholson as senior vice president, general manager of the company's newly created Oncology Business Unit, reporting to Ian Read, president of Pfizer Worldwide Pharmaceutical Operations. Nicholson will serve as head of Pfizer's oncology franchise, with direct responsibility for clinical development, medical affairs, commercial development, sales and marketing.

"Garry is a highly regarded and accomplished executive whose experience in the global oncology market makes him exceptionally qualified to lead this important new growth area for Pfizer," Read said. "The Oncology market is expected to grow significantly in the next decade. This is being driven by breakthrough science, the rapid uptake of new agents that meet high unmet medical need and treatments that are enabling cancer patients to live longer".

Nicholson is a senior pharmaceutical executive with extensive experience in product development, marketing, sales and general management on a worldwide basis.

"This is a very exciting time to join Ian and the rest of Pfizer's leadership as they seek to seize promising opportunities in the growing global oncology market," Nicholson said. "I believe Pfizer has the most promising and extensive oncology pipeline in the industry and look forward to leading this important new business."

On March 5th, Pfizer announced the establishment of a new Business Unit focused solely on oncology in its Worldwide Pharmaceutical Group. The unit will have the resources to seize growth opportunities to strengthen Pfizer's research investment in oncology, a market expected to more than double in the next decade. The Oncology Business Unit will enable the Company to expedite launches of novel oncology agents, as well as to focus research efforts on cancers common in Asia, including those of the liver, esophagus and nasopharynx.