BOSTON — John Lechleiter, chairman and chief executive officer of Eli Lilly and Co., has been elected chairman of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA).

PhRMA announced Lechleiter’s election to post on Friday at its annual meeting in Boston. He succeeds Christopher Viehbacher, CEO of Sanofi, as PhRMA’s chairman.

"Chris has been indispensable to PhRMA on many fronts, providing invaluable leadership as the industry navigates the evolving policy and regulatory landscapes essential to continued innovation while always putting patients first," PhRMA president and CEO John Castellani said in a statement. "As Dr. Lechleiter assumes the chairman role, we can all feel comfort knowing that the patient-centered approaches we utilize in all our advocacy efforts will continue to be central to our mission of advancing innovation in the U.S and worldwide."

Lechleiter has served as chairman, president and CEO of Lilly since 2008.

"I’m honored to lead PhRMA during this very important time in the history of our industry," Lechleiter stated. "PhRMA member companies play an incredibly important role in the delivery of high-quality, cost-effective health care for our citizens. Continued progress against diseases like Alzheimer’s disease, cancer and diabetes requires policies that enable medical innovation to thrive. I look forward to the opportunity to advance these important conversations at an industry level."

Also elected were Celgene Corp. chairman and CEO Robert Hugin, as chairman-elect of the PhRMA board, and Pfizer president and CEO Ian Read, as board treasurer.