Washington – September 29, 2026 -- The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) has named former House Majority Leader Eric Cantor as its next president and chief executive officer, effective November 9. Cantor succeeds Stephen J. Ubl, who has led the trade group since 2015 and will remain as a strategic advisor through January 15, 2027.
Cantor brings a decade of Capitol Hill leadership to the biopharmaceutical lobby
Cantor represented Virginia in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2000 to 2014, serving as House Majority Leader from 2011 to 2014. He led the bipartisan Gabriella Miller Kids First Research Act, which directed federal funding to pediatric disease research at the National Institutes of Health, and helped build support for Medicare Part D, which expanded drug coverage for seniors and people with disabilities. He also laid groundwork for the 21st Century Cures Act, which increased NIH funding and included FDA reforms to accelerate medicine approvals.
Merck CEO Rob Davis cites Cantor's cross-sector track record
Rob Davis, chairman and CEO of Merck and chair of the PhRMA Board of Directors, said Cantor's combination of global business experience and high-level policy expertise made him suited to lead the organization through what the board called a pivotal period for American biopharmaceutical innovation. Since leaving Congress, Cantor has served as Vice Chairman and Managing Director at Moelis & Company, advising organizations on business strategy, mergers and acquisitions, and public policy; he will remain on the firm's Board of Directors while at PhRMA.
Incoming CEO points to AI and patient access as priorities
Cantor said he would focus on expanding patient access to medicines and leveraging artificial intelligence to speed drug discovery, while advocating for the workforce behind U.S. biopharmaceutical research. Davis credited Ubl with a decade of advocacy for patients and innovation during a period of significant change in health care policy.