The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) announced Thursday afternoon that a familiar face is returning to the organization: Steve Tilton.

After spending several years as head of U.S. government affairs at Takeda Pharmaceuticals, which is a member of the industry lobbying group, Tilton is returning to PhRMA to serve as SVP of federal advocacy.

This is Tilton’s third stint at the organization, as he previously served as VP from 2004 to 2010 and again from 2016 to 2019.

He is officially rejoining the organization on October 17 to oversee the federal advocacy team as well as congressional outreach. He will succeed Anne Esposito, who has held the role since January 2020.

“Steve is a seasoned leader who understands the role our industry plays in bringing treatments to patients,” PhRMA CEO Stephen J. Ubl said in a statement. “He is a best-in-class advocate and will lead PhRMA’s efforts to push for patient affordability reforms and against threats to innovation.” 

An industry veteran and longtime government affairs presence in Washington, D.C., Tilton will be tasked with bolstering PhRMA’s approach to federal health policy following the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act last year. 

The organization fought against the law’s passage and along with a handful of other blue chip pharma companies has sued to stop the implementation of its provisions targeting price controls for prescription drugs.

“The biopharmaceutical industry is at a unique and pivotal moment,” Tilton stated. “The science has never been more promising, but the policy environment poses new challenges every day. I’m excited to lead this talented team and return to PhRMA at this critical time as we advocate for patients, cures and innovation.” 

In addition to strategizing against the Inflation Reduction Act and its Medicare price negotiation powers, PhRMA has fixed its sights on hammering pharmacy benefit managers (PBM) as the cause of high drug prices in America.

PhRMA recently released its fourth ad since 2022 to point blame at the drug middlemen and has encouraged the ongoing bipartisan push on Capitol Hill to further regulate PBMs for their perceived role in raising prescription drug prices in the U.S.