Earlier this week, The Washington Post falsely claimed that the PhRMA supported the Ensuring Patient Access and Effective Drug Enforcement Act of 2016 and spent $40 million advocating for its enactment. As stated previously, these claims are unequivocally false and last night The Washington Post issued a correction clarifying that PhRMA did not take a position on the legislation.
Recently, PhRMA has taken a number of steps to address the opioid crisis, such as announcing its support for a 7-day script limit on opioids for acute pain and launching a new partnership with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) to bring new non-opioid therapies to market for patients who need them.
We will continue to work with other stakeholders to fight this terrible epidemic.
Robert Zirkelbach
Robert Zirkelbach is an accomplished public affairs executive with more than 20 years of experience shaping the debate and influencing policy on behalf of highly regulated industries and corporations. As Chief Public Affairs Officer & Head of Strategic Initiatives at the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), Zirkelbach leads public affairs, strategic initiatives and membership on behalf of America’s biopharmaceutical industry.
He oversees integrated public affairs campaigns that advance patient-first solutions, strengthen our health care system and preserve the role of the U.S. as the world leader in biopharmaceutical innovation. Since returning to PhRMA in 2023, he has elevated the industry’s voice in Washington, expanded PhRMA’s membership and spearheaded the organization’s five-year strategic plan.
Previously, Zirkelbach served as Global Head of Issues and Advocacy at ExxonMobil, where he led high-impact advocacy campaigns on issues central to the company’s mission, including climate change and plastic waste. During his tenure, he also oversaw a strategic risk function responsible for identifying and mitigating potential policy, geopolitical and reputation risks facing the company. Zirkelbach served as spokesman for America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) during the pivotal debate and implementation of the Affordable Care Act. He started his career on Capitol Hill as press secretary for Congressman Jim Nussle (R-IA).
Zirkelbach is a graduate of Central College. He lives with his wife and two children in Washington, DC.
Robby Zirklebach
https://www.linkedin.com/in/robzirk/
Chief Public Affairs Officer & Head of Strategic Initiatives
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