100 Most Influential People in Healthcare - 2022

Bourla, who has been CEO since 2019, has worked at Pfizer for more than 25 years. After developing the first COVID-19 vaccine with BioNTech, in 2021 Pfizer began distributing its drug Paxlovid after the Food and Drug Administration issued emergency approval. According to the company, the treatment reduced the risk of hospitalization and death from COVID-19 by about 90%. This summer, the FDA authorized an updated Pfizer-BioNTech booster aimed at targeting the Omicron variant. In November, the pharmaceutical giant announced plans to work with BioNTech to develop a two-in-one vaccine for COVID-19 and the flu. It has also made progress in the development of vaccines targeting respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, and Lyme disease, with Bourla pointing to these and other products as key contributors to the company's growth aspirations.