AdvaMed CEO Leaving to Lead PhRMA

AdvaMed has started a nationwide search to replace Stephen Ubl, who has been the medical device industry group's CEO for 10 years.

Chris Newmarker

Stephen Ubl is stepping down as AdvaMed's president and CEO, effective October 15, as he prepares to become president and CEO of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA).

"During Steve's time at AdvaMed, the association experienced significant growth in membership, policy development capabilities as well as advocacy impact," AdvaMed's chairman, BD CEO Vincent Forlenza, said in a Friday news release.

Ubl, who started out in Washington working for U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-IA, joined AdvaMed in 1998 as executive vice president of federal government relations. He left to become a consultant in 2004, but rejoined AdvaMed as CEO in 2015.

Forlenza ticked off some of Ubl's accomplishments over the years:

A nationwide search is already underway to find a replacement for Ubl, with the group continuing lobbying to repeal the U.S. medical device tax and achieve regulatory reform.

Meanwhile, Ubl is expressing enthusiasm about his upcoming job.

"This is an exciting time to be joining the biopharmaceutical industry as new medicines are coming to the market that are completely transforming care for patients fighting cancer, heart disease, hepatitis c and other debilitating diseases," Ubl said in a PhRMA news release.

"I look forward to working with PhRMA member companies and the broader health care advocacy community to advance public policies that will improve patients' access to medicines and foster the continued development of new treatments and cures for patients," Ubl said.

Chris Newmarker is senior editor of Qmed and MPMN. Follow him on Twitter at @newmarker.

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