WASHINGTON — Jeffrey Kindler, chairman and chief executive officer of Pfizer Inc., has been elected chairman of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA).

Kindler, named to the post Thursday at PhRMA’s annual meeting, succeeds David Brennan, CEO and executive director of AstraZeneca PLC, as chair of the pharmaceutical industry association.

Also elected were sanofi-aventis CEO Christopher Viehbacher as chairman-elect of the PhRMA board, and John Lechleiter, chairman and CEO of Eli Lilly, as PhRMA board treasurer.

‘"Great leadership requires patience, decisiveness, intelligence, execution and compassion. David encompasses all of these qualities and much more. He is a tireless advocate for patient-centered policies here in the U.S. and abroad and has set the bar high for his peers," stated PhRMA president and CEO Billy Tauzin. "During David’s tenure as our chairman, PhRMA broadened its scope by welcoming several smaller biopharmaceutical companies as members, we continued to highlight the critical work being done to develop new innovative treatments for orphan and rare diseases, and we reaffirmed our commitment to strengthening the U.S. health care system by supporting comprehensive health care reform."

Brennan commented, "I am proud of the accomplishments of PhRMA over the past year. During a year of many changes and uncertainties, PhRMA and its member companies worked diligently to address the health care challenges facing the United States while remaining committed to our goal of promoting solutions for patients. As we moved forward in promoting sustainable health care reform, our work helped change the direction of the debate to one that will lead to improved American health care."

Kindler has served as Pfizer CEO since July 2006 and as chairman since December 2006. He joined Pfizer in 2002 as executive vice president and general counsel and was named vice chairman in 2005, joining the company’s four-person executive committee and assuming responsibility for its corporate affairs division.

"I am excited to lead this organization during such a dynamic time for our nation’s health care system," Kindler said in a statement. "The biopharmaceutical industry can be a catalyst for change by creating a future with good jobs and good health in the U.S. Our member companies employ many of the world’s best scientific minds to challenge the most feared diseases of our time. By advancing wellness, treatments, prevention and cures, our member companies play a vital role in this country’s health care system. This role brings us many responsibilities. That’s just one reason why we are actively working to help identify solutions in the U.S. health care reform debates. We aim to be a leading voice for improving everyone’s ability to have reliable and affordable health care."