The ABPI has hired communications consultancy Luther Pendragon to provide public affairs advice to its senior team.

Luther will provide strategic advice to the representative body for the research-based pharmaceutical industry on its relationships with politics, the NHS and patient organisations and will work with the in-house team, led by director of corporate affairs, Amanda Callaghan.

The ABPI represents research-based pharmaceutical companies, both large and small, in the UK. Luther will support ABPI to communicate the contribution made by the pharmaceutical industry to the UK economy, but also its role in bringing life-saving and life-enhancing medicines to patients. Luther will support ABPI in its work to communicate the importance and value of innovation, particularly in relation to research and development; encourage greater uptake of and access to medicines; and to ensure a fair price for medicines in the UK.

Simon Whale, managing director at Luther Pendragon, said: “There couldn’t be a more interesting time to be working with the ABPI. NHS reforms and a changing commercial environment mean that the pharmaceutical industry’s issues are at the top of the political agenda. We’ll be working to ensure that the industry is joined up in its public affairs, from the sharp end of politics to partnership with the NHS.”