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WASHINGTON — The National Pharmaceutical Council (NPC) today announced that Richard Bagger, executive vice president, corporate affairs and market access, Celgene Corp., has been elected chair of NPC’s board of directors for 2018-2019. Bagger has previously served in several leadership roles at NPC, including as vice chair and treasurer.
Richard Bagger
“Rich’s deep experience in health care, particularly on the pressing health policy issues the country faces today, make him an ideal chair as NPC continues to work to foster an environment in the United States that supports medical innovation,” said NPC president and chief executive officer Dan Leonard. “We look forward to working with Rich in our ongoing efforts to advance good evidence and science in health care conversations, particularly as we engage stakeholders in a deeper and broader dialogue on health care spending and value issues.”
Bagger has been with Celgene since 2012. As a member of Celgene’s executive committee, Bagger is responsible for advancing patient access to Celgene therapies and driving recognition of the value of Celgene innovation through communications, patient advocacy, government relations, public policy, market access, global health and corporate responsibility activities around the world. Bagger has broad experience in both health care and public policy, having worked previously at Pfizer Inc. and Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield and having served as both a New Jersey state legislator and as chief of staff to the Governor of New Jersey.
NPC’s Board of Directors also elected other members to its executive committee:
• Blasine Penkowski, chief strategic customer officer, Johnson & Johnson (vice chair);
• Michael Ryan, senior vice president, worldwide value, access, pricing and health economics and outcomes research, Bristol-Myers Squibb (treasurer);
• George Keefe, senior vice president, access, reimbursement and government affairs, Teva Pharmaceuticals (at-large); and
• Mark Nagy, vice president, global patient outcomes and real world evidence, Eli Lilly and Company (immediate past chair).
In addition to the executive committee, the Board of Directors made appointments to two standing Board-level committees. Dr. Steven Romano, executive vice president and chief scientific officer, Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals, will serve as chair of the board-level research committee, and Christine Marsh, vice president, market access, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., will be chair of the strategic advisory group. The committees provide input to the board on research projects and strategic guidance, respectively.
“I look forward to serving as chair of NPC’s board of directors and working to further NPC’s examination of important health policy questions,” Bagger said. “As we continue to move toward a more value-driven health care system that provides innovative treatments for patients and advances creative solutions to health care challenges, NPC’s work in exploring key issues of evidence, value, access and innovation is more important than ever. It is an honor, together with my fellow board members, to support NPC’s important work.”
As the policy debate about health care system and payment reform has intensified, NPC has filled an important role in the discussion by supporting and conducting peer-reviewed research focused on evidence, the value of medicines and access for patients, and innovation and health care spending. For 65 years, NPC has focused on advancing research, information dissemination, and education.
About the National Pharmaceutical Council
