Washington, D.C. (December 9, 2020) — The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) is pleased to announce that David Ricks, chairman and CEO of Eli Lilly and Company, has assumed the role of chairman of the PhRMA board of directors. 

Prior to today’s announcement, Ricks held the position of chairman-elect and before that, the position of treasurer of the PhRMA Board. Ricks succeeds Giovanni Caforio, M.D, chairman of the board and CEO, Bristol Myers Squibb, who completed his term as PhRMA board chair.

“I would like to thank Giovanni for his steadfast commitment during this unprecedented year and to welcome Dave as PhRMA board chairman,” said Stephen J. Ubl, PhRMA president and CEO. “This is a critical time for our industry as we continue to develop solutions for patients facing COVID-19 and other health issues. Dave’s leadership will assist us as we fight for policies that help end the pandemic, improve patients’ access to medicines and lower out-of-pocket costs.” 

Ricks has been with Lilly for more than 20 years, was named CEO in January 2017 and elected chairman of the Lilly board in June 2017. Prior to his role as CEO, he advanced through a series of global leadership positions across the organization, including general manager of Lilly Canada, president and general manager of Lilly China, president of Lilly USA and most recently, president of Lilly Bio-Medicines from 2012 to 2016. Ricks is on the boards of Adobe and the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership. He is a member of the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers & Associations (IFPMA) CEO Steering Committee, The Business Council, Business Roundtable and the National Council for Expanding American Innovation (NCEAI). He serves on the Riley Children’s Foundation’s board of governors.

“Our companies and their scientists have moved with speed and collaborated like never before to develop and now launch therapeutics and vaccines which will allow more people to survive and avoid COVID-19 infections,” said Ricks. “This pandemic will end soon, in large part based on this amazing work. Yet we know our work is far from over. We are committed to harnessing that same scientific capability to conquer the scourges of cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s and other chronic diseases, while bringing the same collaborative spirit to the policy table in 2021 to solve the inequity and unfairness due to expanding out-of-pocket costs for American families and seniors in our health care system.” 

PhRMA also announced today that CSL Behring, King of Prussia, PA, joined the association as a member. CSL Behring is a leading global biotech company dedicated to discovering and delivering life-saving medicines for patients with rare disease and other unmet medical needs. 

“I am proud to welcome CSL Behring to PhRMA,” added Ubl. “Their resolute pursuit of new treatments and cures that can better the lives of patients will assist our association as we work with policymakers and stakeholders on common-sense policy solutions to improve the health care system.”  

About PhRMA

The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) represents the country’s leading innovative biopharmaceutical research companies, which are devoted to discovering and developing medicines that enable patients to live longer, healthier and more productive lives. Since 2000, PhRMA member companies have invested nearly $1 trillion in the search for new treatments and cures, including an estimated $83 billion in 2019 alone

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