FDLI Names Christine M. Simmon as President and Chief Executive Officer

WASHINGTON DC, May 16, 2022 — The Food and Drug Law Institute (FDLI), the premier professional organization for practitioners of food and drug law, announced today the selection of Christine M. Simmon as its new President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective July 5, 2022.

After an extensive search, Christine M. Simmon has been selected to replace Amy Comstock Rick who is leaving at the end of June after eight successful years leading the organization. Ms. Simmon most recently served as the Executive Vice President of the Association for Accessible Medicines which represents generic drug and biosimilars manufacturers, and the Executive Director of its Biosimilars Council, a division which she co-founded.

“Christine’s strong association executive and food and drug law experience integrates so well with FDLI’s role as the leading organization for the food and drug law community,” said Daniel Kracov, a partner at Arnold & Porter LLP and Chair of the FDLI Board of Directors. “The FDLI Board of Directors look forward to working with Christine and the FDLI team as we continue on our path of growth and success.”

During her 14 years at AAM, Ms. Simmon played a key role in the trade group’s growth into a top pharmaceutical organization and became a recognized thought leader in the generics and biosimilars space. Beyond helming the Biosimilars Council, she at various times has led the policy, communications, international, strategic alliances, and legal functions at AAM and served as executive sponsor of its Women in Health Policy networking group. She has testified before Congress, state legislatures, FDA, FTC, Wall Street investment firms, and the World Health Organization, and serves as a director on non-profit boards including Healthcare Ready, the Dispensary of Hope, and the National Coalition on Health Care. Ms. Simmon, who earned her J.D. at Georgetown University Law Center and her B.A. at Georgetown University, has also held senior policy positions at CVS Caremark and the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.  

“I am thrilled to lead FDLI’s talented team as we continue to convene the vibrant community of professionals dedicated to promoting public health and advancing the food and drug law field. For 73 years, FDLI has been a critical forum for educating and inspiring our members in their work impacting the health and well-being of everyone in America and I am excited to join this tradition of excellence,” said Simmon.

ABOUT FDLI

The Food and Drug Law Institute (FDLI), founded in 1949, is a nonprofit membership organization that offers education, training, publications, and professional engagement opportunities in the field of food and drug law. As a neutral convener, FDLI provides a venue for stakeholders to inform innovative public policy, law, and regulation.

FDLI’s scope covers all industries regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and related agencies and authorities in the U.S. and globally, including drugs, medical devices, biologics, food, dietary supplements, cosmetics, veterinary, tobacco, and cannabis-derived products. The FDLI community includes manufacturers, distributors, law firms, consultants, academics, government employees, non-profits, and students. Collectively, the stakeholder group engaged with FDLI is 30,000+ individuals.