Worldwide Headquarters
1905 River Road
Bedminster, NJ 07921-2759

Phone: 908-470-1260
Fax: 908-234-9997
www.ratingresearch.com

RATING RESEARCH UPGRADES PFIZER’S REPUTATION RATING

Pfizer Assigned Highest-Quality AAA Rating in Second Annual Industry Study

Bedminster, N.J. (2 June 2003) — Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Inc.’s Reputation Strength Rating was upgraded this year to the highest-quality rating of AAA from AA last year, according to Rating Research LLC (RRC), the leading reputation rating agency. Pfizer thus joins in the winners’ circle Johnson & Johnson and Merck, which both received a AAA rating not only last year but again in 2003. The complete list of reputation strength ratings of all 19 companies included in this year’s study of the pharmaceutical industry is scheduled to be released the week of June 2nd.

“Pfizer exhibited even stronger reputation strength this year than last,” said Dory Gasorek, Principal and Rating Committee Chair of RRC. “Long well-known for its strength in sales and marketing, Pfizer is now recognized for its successful acquisitions of Warner Lambert in 2000 and Pharmacia in 2003.”

The RRC Reputation Strength Study of the pharmaceutical industry included in-depth telephone interviews with senior industry executives and financial analysts conducted during the time period January - March 2003. A cover story in the June 2003 issue of Pharmaceutical Executive will focus on highlights of the study.

Pfizer Leads on Competitiveness and CEO Leadership

Pfizer emerges on or near the top on virtually all of the key reputation dimensions, such as Competitiveness, Marketing Effectiveness, CEO Leadership, Manufacturing Process and Employee Retention, among others. Financial analysts expressed even more positive perceptions than did industry executives, particularly on the performance of CEO Henry McKinnell and the company’s successful acquisition strategy.

At the same time, modest concerns were voiced by some analysts regarding Pfizer’s growing size, with one analyst noting “The company is so big it needs to have a lot of compelling products , but that is difficult as there is a lot of serendipity in research.”
The Pharmaceutical Reputation Strength Study, providing the findings and analysis that support the ratings, is sold to analysts, investors, regulators, rated companies and other interested parties.

RRC, a joint venture between The Ratrix Group and Opinion Research Corporation (NASDAQ), assigns Reputation Strength Ratings and Ethics Reputation Ratings to leading companies and publishes those rating opinions as a public service.

###

For more information on RRC’s Corporate Reputation Ratings contact Jane Barr.