Pfizer appoints new chief medical officer

NEW YORK Pfizer has hired a former Vertex Pharmaceuticals executive as its chief medical officer, the drug maker announced this week.

Freda Lewis-Hall has been appointed as chief medical officer and SVP. Prior to working at Vertex, where she was responsible for clinical and non-clinical development, and medical and regulatory affairs, she was SVP medical affairs at Bristol-Myers Squibb, VP research and development at Pharmacia and product team leader at Eli Lilly & Co. She also has had leadership positions at the National Institute of Mental Health and the Howard University College of Medicine.

“We welcome Dr. Lewis-Hall to Pfizer and know that she will make a distinctive contribution as we build the world’s premier biopharmaceutical company,” Pfizer chairman and CEO Jeff Kindler said. “Her achievements as a biomedical researcher, patient advocate, academician and organizational leader fit perfectly with our goal of applying innovative science to improve world health.”