Kevin T. Rigby Elected as National Pharmaceutical Council’s Chairman of the Board
Washington, DC (October 28, 2010) -- Kevin T. Rigby, Vice President of Public Affairs and Communications at Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, has been elected Chairman of the National Pharmaceutical Council’s (NPC) Board of Directors for 2010-2011. Mr. Rigby has served on NPC’s Board since 2007, most recently as Vice Chairman, and has been active on NPC’s communications and strategic coordinating committees.
“Kevin brings with him a wealth of leadership experience, especially in his ability to translate research findings to patients and other health care stakeholders,” said NPC President Dan Leonard. “And as NPC moves ahead with policy research that informs the development, understanding and use of comparative evidence by health care decision makers, we look forward to having Kevin play an active and guiding role in that process.”
At Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, Mr. Rigby oversees the departments of Communications, State and External Affairs, Health Policy, Philanthropy and Alliance Development, and Patient Assistance Programs. He also is responsible for the company’s internal and external communications; philanthropic contributions; programs for the uninsured and under-insured; interactions with state elected officials, patient groups, and non-profit charitable organizations; and public policy initiatives. In addition, he serves as president of Novartis Patient Assistance Foundation, Inc. Prior to joining Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, Mr. Rigby worked as vice president of sales and marketing services at Hoffmann-La Roche Inc., as an attorney in private practice, and held positions in the public sector.
“This is an exciting and historic time for the U.S. health care system, with the creation of the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute and the strong investments in comparative effectiveness research,” said Mr. Rigby. “I look forward to working closely with NPC and its staff to develop sound health policy research that addresses the challenges that come with these changes to the health care system.”
Leonard also acknowledged the contributions of the outgoing chair, Marie-Caroline Sainpy, Regional President for the NE Primary Care Business Unit at Pfizer Inc. “Marie-Caroline’s contributions throughout the year are reflected in NPC’s sharper focus on patient-centered outcomes research and in our positioning for the work ahead of us,” said Mr. Leonard.
The NPC Board also elected Robert A. McMahon, President of U.S. Commercial Operations at Merck & Co., to serve as its Vice Chairman, and Rich Fante, U.S. President of AstraZeneca, as Treasurer.
About the National Pharmaceutical Council
NPC’s overarching mission is to sponsor and conduct scientific analyses of the appropriate use of biopharmaceuticals and the clinical and economic value of innovation. The organization’s strategic focus is on evidence-based medicine (EBM) for health care decision-making, to ensure that patients have access to high-quality care. NPC was established in 1953 and is supported by the nation’s major research-based pharmaceutical companies. For more information, visit www.npcnow.org.
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