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A shakeup at pharmaceutical giant Pfizer could mean changes for the company’s Connecticut operations.

Pfizer is one of the largest spenders on research and development in the industry.  The company, long supported by the world’s best selling drug, cholesterol therapy Lipitor says it will now end new research on medicines for heart disease and stroke, and instead move dollars into the effort to develop cancer drugs and Alzheimer therapies.  The company employs around five and a half thousand people in Connecticut, including nearly four thousand scientists in Groton.  In a reorganization at the beginning of last year, oncology research was moved out of the state, while cardiovascular medicine became a specialty here.  But spokeswoman Liz Power says this latest news isn’t necessarily negative for Southeastern Connecticut.

“In Groton in our labs we have groups that are looking into Alzheimer’s disease, psychoses; we also have groups that are looking into other types of cardiovascular disease and diabetes.  There are areas that we will exit, but there are areas for sure where our scientists in Connecticut will support the advance of our pipeline.”

Pfizer has also given investors an update on its drugs in development, saying the number of potential medicines in the final stage has grown from 16 to 25 since March.