Flagship nabs another Big Pharma exec
Who: Rupert Vessey, Bristol Myers Squibb’s former president of research and early development, is heading to Flagship Pioneering at the end of this month, where he’ll serve in the newly created role of chief scientist and executive partner.
Background: The role will surely be a conglomeration of Vessey’s previous work ushering drugs through early development at major pharmas. Vessey joined BMS through its acquisition of Celgene in 2019, where he previously served in the same role, and oversaw the merging of the two pipelines and advancement of drug candidates across the Big Pharma’s portfolio. However, he left the company earlier this year amid a restructuring of its R&D strategy. Prior to Celgene, Vessey worked for over a decade at Merck, culminating in his position as senior vice president of early development and discovery sciences.
Why it matters: In the new role, Vessey will head up Flagship’s Pioneering Medicine division, which seeks to capitalize on and combine the platform technologies of the incubator’s more than 40 startups to create new medicines, technologies and products. He’ll work hand in hand with Flagship’s origination team to develop new discovery strategies for the early stage biotechs. Vessey’s appointment marks the latest in a line of Big Pharma hiring by Flagship. Last year, AbbVie’s former president and vice chair Dr. Michael Severino took the helm of Flagship startup Tessera Therapeutics. It also nabbed Michelle Werner, former head of Novartis’ worldwide franchise for solid tumors, and Paul Biondi, BMS’s former business development chief.
Learn more: For an inside look at BMS’s integration with Celgene, read our Q&A with the company’s senior vice president of major markets, Catherine Owens.
PhRMA enlists a heavy hitter to lead policy amid IRA turmoil
Who: Elizabeth Carpenter, president of the consulting firm Avalere Health, will join the lobbying group PhRMA as executive vice president for policy and research Sept. 5, succeeding Jennifer Bryant, who is retiring after 17 years in the role.
Background: Carpenter has over 20 years of experience working in healthcare policy, spending almost a decade advising life sciences clients at Avalere and, before that, working on the research side at the nonpartisan New America Foundation think tank, the legal side at McKenna Long & Aldridge, and on the public side as a legislative aide to former Republican Sen. Lincoln Chafee from Rhode Island. She has worked on policy issues related to COVID-19, implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and navigating trends in commercial and government insurance. Recently, she’s played a leading role counseling clients on the Inflation Reduction Act’s (IRA) drug pricing policies. As a founding member of the private women’s senior leadership group Chief, Carpenter is also well-connected to a diverse group of leaders from across industries.
Why it matters: The transition comes at a tumultuous time in the pharma regulatory sphere, with recently announced lawsuits challenging the drug pricing provisions in the IRA, and as the CMS continues to implement the law’s major reforms. Both Avalere and PhRMA are powerhouse players for individual companies navigating the space, and the Carpenter’s move will be a big change for each organization.
Carpenter will now take the helm of PhRMA’s advocacy initiatives, likely playing a leading role in any future actions it takes to sway the creation and implementation of prescription drug-related public policy.
In a statement, PhRMA CEO Stephen Ubl said Carpenter’s “depth of knowledge and experience are critical assets” as the organization continues to “push affordability reforms to benefit patients and push back on threats against biopharmaceutical innovation.”
Carpenter’s move also marks the second departure from the firm’s health group this year, after former Managing Director of Health Policy Ryan Urgo left to lead Novo Nordisk’s policy group. As Avalere searches for Carpenter’s replacement, senior vice president Sarah Alwardt will take over in the interim
Learn more: Last month, PhRMA joined a growing body of groups suing the Biden administration over the Inflation Reduction Act.
