Pfizer to Exit ViiV Healthcare as GSK and Shionogi Reshape Ownership

Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) is included among Dividend Contenders List: Top 20 Stocks.

Reuters reported on January 20 that Britain’s GSK and Japan’s Shionogi said Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) will exit their HIV-focused joint venture, ViiV Healthcare. The transaction values Pfizer’s exit at about $1.9 billion and sharply increases Shionogi’s stake in the business.

Under the deal, Shionogi will pay $2.13 billion for newly issued shares, lifting its ownership in ViiV Healthcare to 21.7% from 10%. GSK will continue to control the company, keeping its 78.3% majority stake.

Pfizer will receive $1.88 billion for its 11.7% holding. GSK, meanwhile, will receive a $250 million special dividend as ViiV cancels Pfizer’s shares. GSK originally formed ViiV Healthcare with Pfizer in 2009, with Shionogi joining the venture in 2012.

The companies said the deal is subject to regulatory approvals and is expected to close in the first quarter of 2026. Pfizer’s exit comes as the company braces for a more difficult stretch. In December, it warned that the years ahead could be bumpy, starting in 2026, pointing to weaker sales of its COVID vaccine and treatment, price cuts promised to the US government, and the loss of patent protection on several key drugs. Pfizer does not expect to return to revenue growth until 2029.

In separate Reuters reporting, Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said on January 12 that the company is preparing for a consumer-driven obesity drug market that could rival the surge it experienced after launching Viagra in 1998. Bourla said that even during talks to acquire weight-loss drugmaker Metsera, announced in September 2025, Pfizer did not expect the cash-pay obesity market, now led by Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk, to grow so quickly.

Pfizer developed and sold Viagra for years before spinning off the business that controls the brand in 2020. The drug is now sold largely in generic form.

Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) is a global, research-based biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing, and commercializing medicines worldwide.

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