Amgen Names Rodger Currie Vice President, Government Affairs
03.30.2004
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THOUSAND OAKS, Calif.--(March 30, 2004--Amgen Inc. (Nasdaq:AMGN), the world's largest biotechnology company, today announced that Rodger Currie has been named vice president, Government Affairs. Currie will work closely with David Beier, Amgen's senior vice president, Global Government Affairs, to create and design the appropriate legislative strategy for the company, and will be responsible for executing that strategy in Washington D.C.
Currie joins Amgen from Pharmaceutical Research & Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), one of the largest and most influential lobbying organizations in Washington, D.C., where he was most recently senior vice president for Federal Affairs and Law. Currie led PhRMA's successful efforts to enact the Best Pharmaceuticals for Children Act in 2001 (Public Law 107-109) to improve the safety and efficacy of pharmaceuticals for children, and the Prescription Drug User Fee Act in 2002 (Public Law 107-188), which re-authorized the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to collect fees from companies that produce certain human drug and biological products, in exchange for FDA agreement to meet drug-review performance goals that emphasize timeliness. Currie also led the association's efforts to pass $400 billion free market Medicare prescription drug coverage legislation, including House and Senate passage of the PhRMA-supported bill. The Hill named him "Top Lobbyist" in 2002, 2003 and 2004.
Prior to joining PhRMA, Currie worked as majority counsel for the Committee on Energy & Commerce Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives, as an attorney in private practice and as a law clerk in the U.S. Attorney's Office. He earned his J.D. and B.A. degrees from Georgetown University.
"With the ongoing importance of Amgen's relationship to legislative bodies and elected officials, Rodger will be the key asset in the management of our Washington, D.C. office's Federal Government Affairs program, a vital initiative and a strategic imperative for Amgen," said Beier.
Currie replaces Rita Norton, who has decided to retire from Amgen. Norton will remain on staff over the next several months to ensure a seamless transition, and has agreed to continue working with Amgen's Government Affairs team in a consulting role. Since joining Amgen in 1997, Norton has ably represented the company before the U.S. Congress and Administrations on a wide variety of issues including tax, intellectual property and Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement.
About Amgen
Amgen is a global biotechnology company that discovers, develops, manufactures and markets important human therapeutics based on advances in cellular and molecular biology.
CONTACT: Amgen, Thousand Oaks
Media, 805-447-4587
Investors, 805-447-1060
SOURCE: Amgen