When I joined Pfizer in 1975, management told me Pfizer was like a family, and our goal was to be the best of many small pharmaceutical companies. Later, they said our goal was to be in the top tier, and when Pfizer reached that, to become number one. We also became the most admired company. It was my joy to give final approval to the manufacturing and quality control sections of 20 Pfizer New Drug Applications (NDAs).

The only remaining goal was world domination. Unfortunately, by the 1990s Pfizer had grown so big that problems began to show up everywhere. Management introduced new predator behaviors, a serious development just like cancer, while saying the Pfizer family was dead. I signed a Pfizer code of ethics that said I would conduct my affairs diligently, honestly, and professionally.

Pfizer leaders developed their own monstrous set that included competitor destruction, employee displacement by the tens of thousands, plant closures, and more. Now, rather than do the harder work of making Pfizer itself great, they propose to suck the blood from AstraZenica; and also failing at patriotism, to avoid payment of taxes. Ethics gone, don't believe their promises. Our government should not allow another Pfizer merger.