PhRMA top lobbyist to leave post

Rodger Currie, Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America’s (PhRMA) top lobbyist, is leaving his post at the nation’s top lobby for drugmakers.

“Rodger Currie has decided to leave PhRMA to pursue new opportunities effective August 31. We thank Rodger for his tireless efforts leading PhRMA’s advocacy functions during such a challenging time for the industry, and we wish him well in his next endeavor,” PhRMA told the Hill in a statement.

{mosads}Currie has been the executive vice president for advocacy at PhRMA since 2016.

He was at PhRMA from 1998 to 2004 and left for biotechnology company Amgen, a PhRMA member, to be vice president of global government affairs.

Currie is leaving amid lawmaker scrutiny toward PhRMA over lowing prescription drug pricing. President Trump met with CEO Steve Ubl and other drug company executives at the end of July. The group voiced opposition to a bill moving through the Senate Finance Committee, backed by the White House, that would lower drug pricing.

Earlier in his career, Currie was majority health counsel to the House Energy and Commerce Committee and was chief of government affairs for the physician leaders at the American Psychiatric Association.

He was also an associate at the health care law firm of Fox, Bennett, and Turner and has worked as a partner at the law firm Foley Hoag.