Eric Lindquist: Why Did Pfizer License a Promising Cancer Drug to Celcuity?

In this episode of the Vital Health Podcast, host Duane Schulthess speaks with Eric Lindquist, biotech entrepreneur and former Chief Business and Commercial Officer at Celcuity, about the 2021 deal to license gedatolisib from Pfizer.

Drawing on Lindquist’s experience with the transaction, they explore portfolio fit, the responsibilities of advancing a medicine, and how funding, pricing policy, and international competition shape drug development and patient access.

Key Topics:

• Drug Licensing: The Pfizer-Celcuity agreement, portfolio fit, development responsibilities.
• Pricing Policy: Inflation Reduction Act incentives, Most Favored Nation proposals, international launch decisions.
• Global Investment: Venture capital in Europe and the U.S., China’s role in drug licensing, clinical development costs.
• Venture Philanthropy: Funding gaps, Lindquist’s plans for a new fund, companies outside traditional investment mandates.
• AI in Trials: Uses of digital pathology, patient identification, confirmatory testing.

Resources Discussed & Further Reading:

• Original Gedatolisib Licensing Announcement (Celcuity, April 2021; PDF page 26): https://ir.celcuity.com/static-files/3a24eb9e-2798-43e3-bcab-660f1dc11a54#page=26
• Gedatolisib Fact Sheet (Pfizer, May 2018; historical development background): https://cdn.pfizer.com/pfizercom/news/asco/Gedatolisib_Fact_Sheet_25MAY2018.pdf
• FDA Approval of Revtorpyk (Gedatolisib) (Celcuity, July 2026): https://ir.celcuity.com/news-releases/news-release-details/celcuity-announces-fda-approval-revtorpyktm-gedatolisib
• The Inflation Reduction Act’s Impact Upon Late-Stage R&D (Vital Transformation preprint, 2026): https://vitaltransformation.com/2026/05/preprint-new-research-the-inflation-reduction-acts-impact-upon-late-stage-rd/
• EU General Pharmaceutical Legislation & Clawbacks (Vital Transformation, 2024; European investment research): https://vitaltransformation.com/2024/03/the-eu-general-pharmaceutical-legislation-clawbacks-calculated-impacts-both-designed-and-unintended/
• The Impact of MFN on Oncology and Hematology Treatments (Vital Transformation preprint, 2026; related modeling): https://vitaltransformation.com/2026/02/preprint-new-research-the-impact-of-mfn-on-oncology-and-hematology-treatments/
• China’s Growing Share of Drug Development (Goldman Sachs, December 2025; related background): https://www.goldmansachs.com/insights/articles/china-is-increasing-its-share-of-global-drug-development
• European Bofanglutide Licensing Agreement (Gan & Lee and Menarini, September 2026): https://www.menarini.com/en-us/news/news-detail/gan-lee-and-menarini-group-partner-to-advance-bofanglutide-in-europe.html

Opinions expressed are those of the speakers.

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