Pfizer and Wyeth: Top 10 deals of 2009

Who: Pfizer
With: Wyeth Pharmaceuticals
What: $68B buyout

Summary: The year started off with a bang when Pfizer paid $68 billion for Wyeth Pharmaceuticals. The merger of the pharma giants was the largest corporate tie-up since 2006. Pfizer CEO Jeff Kindler expressed great hope about the merger: "It will produce [a] distinct blend of diversification, flexibility, and scale that positions the combo company for success," he said at the time. However, the merger has resulted in layoffs (which could top 19,500 when all is said and done). Plus, late last month, Pfizer announced it is dropping about 100 drug development programs from a pipeline swollen by the merger. The bulk of the remaining 500 programs focus on six key areas: Oncology, pain, inflammation, Alzheimer's disease, psychoses and diabetes.