NEW YORK, May 10, 2026, 18:01 EDT
Acuitas Therapeutics has failed in its attempt to shield Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech’s Comirnaty COVID-19 vaccine from GSK’s patent claims, after a Delaware federal judge tossed the case. Judge Gregory Williams sided with GSK’s subsidiaries, dismissing the Acuitas action for lack of subject-matter jurisdiction. In effect, the court said it didn’t have the authority to hear the suit as filed, leaving the broader patent dispute over the high-profile vaccine unresolved.
The ruling stops short of saying if Comirnaty actually infringes on GSK’s patents. For Pfizer, that distinction is pressing: the company is working to steer investors’ attention away from its COVID lineup and onto potential growth in cancer, blood thinners, and obesity drugs, especially in the wake of a sharp sales reset during the pandemic.
With U.S. markets shut on Sunday, Pfizer ended Friday at $25.68, dropping 1.42% for a second session, despite the S&P 500 gaining 0.84%. Volume came in at 36.8 million shares, trailing its 50-day average.
On May 8, Pfizer’s $0.43 second-quarter dividend locked in its record date, with the payment coming June 12. The company notes this will be its 350th uninterrupted quarterly dividend—something income investors are watching closely as Pfizer works on restoring growth.
Pfizer posted first-quarter revenue of $14.5 billion last week, a 2% operational lift. Stripping out Comirnaty and Paxlovid, revenue climbed 7%. The drugmaker stuck to its 2026 outlook: $59.5 billion to $62.5 billion in revenue, with adjusted diluted earnings targeted between $2.80 and $3.00 per share.
Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla called it a “strong start” and highlighted obesity and oncology as key areas where he sees the company “positioned to lead.” CFO David Denton, noting “solid commercial performance,” said growth from both launched and acquired products reached 22% on an operational basis. Pfizer Investor Relations
Wall Street isn’t giving this quarter a free pass. J.P. Morgan’s Chris Schott pointed to some pipeline drugs that “could make the story more interesting over time.” Citi’s Geoff Meacham flagged new products as proof of “the commercial portfolio’s ability to offset ongoing COVID franchise declines.” RBC’s Trung Huynh was more direct: Pfizer is still “a catalyst story, not an earnings story.” Reuters
Pfizer is stepping into obesity treatments, vying with Eli Lilly, which already dominates the market with its blockbuster diabetes and weight-loss drugs. But Reuters says the first obesity drug Pfizer picked up in its Metsera deal, even if trial data go their way, won’t hit shelves before 2028.
Cancer is still the immediate focus. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration cleared Veppanu—Pfizer and Arvinas’ pill—this month for adults with advanced breast cancer who have an ESR1 mutation. “Patients needed a new modality, a new technology,” Arvinas CEO Randy Teel told Reuters. Reuters
Support is showing up in other parts of the portfolio. Eliquis, Pfizer’s blood thinner developed with Bristol Myers Squibb, brought in $2.17 billion in first-quarter revenue, according to Reuters. Padcev and Nurtec also contributed, giving a boost to the batch of freshly launched or recently acquired products.
The downside is still right there. Comirnaty sales slumped 59% to $232 million for the quarter, while Pfizer’s adjusted earnings per share dropped year over year. The Delaware legal dismissal leaves the big patent fight hanging unresolved. If trials in obesity or cancer don’t pan out, the company ends up relying even more on legacy drugs and trimming expenses.
Pfizer caught a break last month by settling patent fights with three generic manufacturers, pushing back rival versions of Vyndamax until 2031. That gives the heart drug a few more years before cheaper competition hits, offering some support for the company’s growth story beyond 2028. Still, it leaves the bigger question unresolved.
