Pfizer Inc. and Albert Bourla got the upper hand in an early skirmish against Starboard Value LP — but the drugmaker and its embattled chief executive face a long war against an activist that hates to lose.

The ongoing corporate battle between Pfizer and activist investment firm Starboard Value escalated on Thursday when Starboard pushed Pfizers board to investigate alleged coercive actions. This follows the

The Wall Street Journal reported that activist investor group Starboard Value owns a stake in Pfizer (PFE -2.82%) that's worth approximately $1 billion. Now, Starboard

Key Takeaways Two former Pfizer executives published a statement saying they support management as it gets pressured for changes by activist investor Starboard Value.The ex-Pfizer executives, Ian Read and Frank D'Amelio,

Starboard has accused Pfizer of “coercive conduct” after executives who initially backed the hedge fund retracted their support.