Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) CEO Albert Bourla sharply criticized Robert F. Kennedy's views on vaccines, calling them "anti-science."
He suggested that meaningful progress on immunization policy would require a change in leadership at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Speaking Wednesday at a Wall Street Journal event during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Bourla said discussions with Kennedy break down when vaccines enter the conversation, despite productive exchanges on other healthcare topics.
Bourla told WSJ that talks around cancer research and pharmaceutical pricing have been constructive, but vaccine-related discussions are fundamentally different.
He described Kennedy's stance as rigid and ideological, saying it resembles a belief system rather than a scientific debate.
When asked directly what would need to change for vaccine discussions to move forward, Bourla gave a blunt response: ‘the health secretary.’ He did not elaborate further but made clear that leadership at the top of U.S. health policy is, in his view, a central obstacle.
Beyond vaccines, Bourla also aimed at actions by President Trump's administration that reduced funding for U.S. universities. He warned that these decisions have weakened America's position in global health research at a time when China is rapidly advancing.
China Factor
Bourla said elite U.S. institutions such as Harvard, MIT, and Stanford once dominated global rankings in health research. He argued that now Chinese universities account for roughly 80% of top-tier positions, reflecting a significant shift in scientific leadership.
He added that China's pharmaceutical sector is expanding quickly, driven by reforms to intellectual property protections and modernization of its regulatory framework.
Those changes have attracted investment and accelerated domestic innovation, he said.
According to Bourla, Chinese drugmakers are no longer focused solely on generics but are increasingly producing original science that could soon rival Western pharmaceutical companies.
Calling the trend a "meteoric rise," Bourla said Chinese firms are generating credible innovation and high-quality research. He argued that U.S. efforts to slow China's progress have been ineffective and misguided.
"You can't stop China. And you shouldn't," Bourla told WSJ, urging Western governments to focus on strengthening their own competitiveness rather than attempting to restrain scientific advances that could benefit global health, including cancer research.
PFE Price Action: Pfizer shares were down 1.93% at $25.60 at the time of publication on Friday, according to Benzinga Pro data.
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