Thomas Cueni named as new IFPMA Director General
pharmafile | February 10, 2017 | Appointment | Business Services, Manufacturing and Production, Medical Communications, Research and Development, Sales and Marketing | IFPMA
Thomas Cueni has become the new Director General of the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers & Associations (IFPMA) and will lead the group on a global level in engaging with governments and organisations such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and World Trade Organization (WTO) to improve access to medicines and inform on the value of pharmaceutical innovation.
Cueni has a close past with the IFPMA through his work as a Council Member and also as Secretary General of Swiss pharma research association Interpharma where he served for 28 years.
Ian Read, President and Chairman of the Board at the IFPMA and CEO of Pfizer commented on Cueni’s appointment: “Thomas has extensive experience in the research-based biopharmaceutical industry and a deep understanding of what is needed to support the continued discovery and development of important life-saving and life-enhancing medicines and vaccines. I look forward to working closely with Thomas in advocating for sustainable health policies that foster innovation and ensure patient access to these important advances.”
Cueni himself remarked: “I am honoured to lead IFPMA at this pivotal moment in global health. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide a robust framework for progress and the biopharmaceutical innovation is already making a major contribution to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC). We look forward to collaborating with partners in Geneva and around the world to help broader access to life-saving medicines and vaccines that the industry discovers and develops”.
At the beginning of the year, Cueni helped launch Access Accelerated, a collaborative initiative to improve chronic disease treatment and tackle rising instances of antimicrobial resistance in low income countries; the effort is comprised of more than 20 biopharmaceutical firms, as well as the World Bank and Union of International Cancer Control (UICC).
“Our work to date, including over 300 health partnerships working together with governments and NGOs can guide us in striving to find solutions where new problems arise,” explained Cueni at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland. “In the last 12 months alone, the research-based pharmaceutical industry has committed to support efforts related to antimicrobial resistance, and chronic diseases as well as epidemic preparedness”.
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