Pfizer Inc announced that Greg Simon has joined the company as senior vice president, Worldwide Policy. He comes to Pfizer from the presidency of FasterCures, where he led efforts to reform policies governing biopharmaceutical discovery and development, with the goal of bringing a greater number of lifesaving medicines more quickly to doctors and patients.
"Greg and his record of leadership are well-known to us at Pfizer," said Jeffrey B Kindler, chairman and chief executive officer of Pfizer. "He shares our commitment to good health and great science, and to shaping policies that unleash the power of innovation so that more people can gain greater access to safe and effective new treatments. He joins us at a pivotal time as we advocate comprehensive health care reform in the United States; move into new therapies, such as vaccines; and bring forward a host of new treatments, including many for cancer, to clinical trials."
He will report to Sandy Beaty, who is currently responsible for policy and government relations at Pfizer. Simon will assume responsibility for counsel and action on health care, science and technology policy issues.
"In my six years at FasterCures, I came to realize that the future of health, both in the US and around the world, depends on all sectors of society - government, industry, academia and nonprofits - working together," said Simon. "Having worked in government and the nonprofit sector, I believe I will bring a unique perspective to Pfizer as it shapes its global health policy for the future. I am thrilled to work with the excellent team at Pfizer to address the most important issue of our time -bringing better health care and health cures to people everywhere."
Simon joined FasterCures, an independent, nonpartisan organization, in 2003. A center of the California-based Milken Institute, FasterCures proposes and pursues improvements in the biomedical research and development process. Last October, Simon was named by the journal Nature Medicine as one of 'Ten People to Watch' in health care policy, noting that he was among 'a handful of influential people who quietly keep the wheels of biomedical science turning'.
Michael Milken, chairman of the Milken Institute, said, "Under Greg's leadership, FasterCures has grown from an innovative idea to an effective reality. He and his team have begun to change the process of medical research, an effort that will accelerate improved treatment outcomes for people everywhere and will produce more lifesaving cures."
Simon was chief domestic policy advisor to vice president Al Gore from 1993 to 1997. In that capacity, he oversaw a number of key initiatives, including programs at the National Institutes of Health, the National Cancer Institute, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Human Genome Project. He was also instrumental in crafting the regulatory framework that is now the foundation for the biotechnology industry. From 1985 to 1991, Simon was staff director of the Investigations and Oversight Subcommittee of the US House of Representatives Committee on Science, Space and Technology. He served as Sen. Gore's Legislative director from 1991 to 1993.
Immediately prior to joining FasterCures, Simon was CEO of Simon Strategies/Mindbeam, a consulting firm focusing on science and technology issues.
He received his law degree from the University of Washington in 1983. He has a BA in history from the University of Arkansas.