Barker named new ABPI chief
pharmafile | August 12, 2004 | News story | |Â Â Â
Dr Richard Barker has been named as successor to Dr Trevor Jones as the ABPI's director general.
Dr Jones, who has led the ABPI for 10 years, retires at the end of August and will be succeeded by Dr Barker, who has spent over 20 years in the industry and has a broad range of past and current positions.
Dr Barker is a former chief executive of Chiron's diagnostic division and his career spans the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical informatics sectors.
Speaking on news of his appointment, Dr Barker said: "I am looking forward to working with the ABPI membership, government, the NHS and patients to ensure the UK's need for effective medicines are met, and to develop innovative solutions to industry-wide challenges in the UK, European and worldwide context."
In addition to high-level consultancy roles at IBM's worldwide healthcare business and McKinsey's European healthcare practice, Dr Barker currently has a number of healthcare interests.
He is founder and president of pharmaceutical and biotechnology advisory firm New Medicine Partners; chairman of genomics and proteomics company Molecular Staging; a member of the board at Exact Sciences, which applies genomics to colon cancer screening; and an advisory board member for paediatric devices at the Children Hospital, Boston.
Commenting on the current healthcare landscape, Dr Barker said: "The opportunities and challenges facing both the industry and the NHS are large, ranging from the right of patients throughout the country to full access to modern medicines, to the need to ensure that the UK remains an attractive place for companies to carry out the research and development of new medicines."
One significant challenge facing Dr Barker in his new role will be the House of Commons Health Select Committee's inquiry into the influence of the pharma industry, which has its first session on 9 September 2004.
The meeting, which will be held in public, will examine the extent of the industry's influence on UK health policies, health outcomes and their future direction.
Prior to heading up the ABPI, Dr Jones was director of research and development at Wellcome, now GlaxoSmithKline. His current commitments include membership of the boards of Merlin General Partners I and II and chair of their Scientific Advisory Board and chairman of stem cell company ReNeuron.
Awarded a CBE in the 2003 New Year's Honours List, Dr Jones was recently appointed to the board of directors at specialty pharmaceutical company Allergan as well as chair of the UK Department of Health Advisory Group on Genetics. His new work interests will also include being senior R&D advisor to Spanish company Esteve and senior life sciences advisor to Fleming Family & Partners.
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