Celgene CEO Bob Hugin And Life Science Leader Magazine Chief Editor Rob Wright: PhRMA Annual Meeting 2013

By Jenell Skemp

Bob Hugin, CEO of Celgene (NASDAQ: CELG), takes a moment to pose for a photo with Rob Wright, chief editor Life Science Leader magazine (holding the April 2013 issue with Hugin on the cover) at this year’s Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) annual meeting (April 10 – 12) in San Diego. Hugin was elected to replace John Lechleiter, CEO for Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY), as the 2013 chairman of the PhRMA board. In an exclusive interview for the April 2013 issue of Life Science Leader, Hugin discusses the importance of protecting U.S. medical innovation via government and regulatory policies which encourage and reward companies for investing in R&D. “If we don’t recognize that the whole system has to be successful, these innovations are going to be made elsewhere, and the economic benefit is going to accrue in other countries,” says Hugin.

This year’s PhRMA meeting was attended by nearly 300 executives representing the country’s leading innovative biopharmaceutical research and biotechnology companies. In addition to Hugin, Wright and Life Science Leader contributing editor Wayne Koberstein, had the opportunity to meet with a number of other PhRMA attendees, which included Bausch + Lomb chairman of the board Fred Hassan, Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMY) CEO Lamberto Andreotti, Merck (NYSE: MRK) CEO Ken Frazier, National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Francis Collins, Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) CEO Ian Reed, PhRMA president and CEO John Castellani, Quintiles CEO Tom Pike, and Sanofi (NYSE: SNY) CEO Chris Viehbacher. This year’s annual meeting concluded with a rousing keynote presentation by cancer survivor Chuck Pagano, head coach of the NFL Indianapois Colts. Pagano described his experience with leukemia, admonishing biopharmaceutical companies to push through adversity, refuse to lower expectations, and continue to provide research, progress, and hope to patients like him.