Bristol-Myers Squibb's chief executive officer Peter R. Dolan was elected chairman of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) at the association's annual meeting in Washington, DC, on Thursday, March 16.

In his first remarks as chairman, Dolan mapped out five areas in which he would lead PhRMA over the next year: making medicines available to patients who need them, delivering the best value solutions to patients, confronting the toughest health care issues, driving innovation and partnering with doctors and patients. Focusing on those issues will lead to positive outcomes for patients, the pharmaceutical and biotechnology research industry and health care in general. This plan is consistent with PhRMA's overall goal to positively shape health care and health care policy in the US.

Dolan succeeds William C. Weldon, the chairman and chief executive officer of Johnson & Johnson, as PhRMA's chairman.

Also elected were Amgen Chief Executive Officer and President Kevin Sharer as PhRMA board's chairman-elect and Pfizer Vice Chairman Karen Katen as PhRMA board's treasurer.

"Mr. Weldon played a critical role in the development of the industry's guiding principles on direct to consumer advertising of prescription medicines and in launching the Partnership for Prescription Assistance which has helped nearly 2 million Americans obtain access to free or nearly free medicines. His leadership in the past year has been invaluable, and we are fortunate that he will continue to serve as a member of PhRMA's board of directors. Our entire industry owes him a debt of gratitude and appreciation for his tireless leadership," said PhRMA President and CEO Billy Tauzin.

The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) represents America's leading pharmaceutical research and biotechnology companies. PhRMA members alone invested an estimated $39.4 billion in 2005 in discovering and developing new medicines. Industry wide research and investment reached a record $51.3 billion in 2005.