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Pfizer (PFE+0.52%) made some major changes to its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) webpage on Thursday, joining other major American corporations that have recently aligned themselves closer with the Trump administration.
The pharmaceutical giant pulled some language relating to diversity initiatives from its DEI page and placed a new emphasis on “merit.” The webpage’s title was changed from “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” to “Merit-Based Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion,” according to an archived version of the page from earlier this month. The company also added a new sentence to the page’s introduction paragraph: “Our culture of diversity, equity and inclusion is based on merit—one where hard work, talent, and contributions drive success, and barriers to opportunity are removed.”
Other sections of the webpage underwent similar changes. A section previously titled “Diversity in Our Global Supply” has been renamed “Inclusive Supplier Strategy.” The paragraph under this heading now states, “All areas of our business groups are dedicated to finding and selecting the best suppliers,” replacing the previous language that emphasized advancing DEI.
Pfizer did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Quartz. However, a company spokesperson told STAT News, which first reported the changes, “We constantly update and evolve the content and design of our website to reflect our current programs, initiatives, and commitments.”
The changes come as the pharma industry is recalibrating its public approach to DEI and aligning itself closer to the new administration. CEOs of major drugmakers reportedly met with Trump earlier this month. Bristol Myers Squibb (BMY+0.57%), Johnson & Johnson (JNJ+0.27%), and Biogen (BIIB+0.07%) have also recently removed references to DEI from their annual reports, according to Bloomberg. The Trump administration is attempting to eliminate diversity programs across public and private sectors, including at public schools and in the military.
Meanwhile, Eli Lilly (LLY+0.84%) CEO David Ricks, alongside Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, announced this week that the company plans to invest $27 billion in four new manufacturing sites in the United States. In an interview on Wednesday, the executive simultaneously called for “extended or improved” tax cuts.