The Biotechnology Industry Organization on Tuesday named Sharon Cohen the organization's first vice president for health policy. Cohen, an experienced health policy strategist and lobbyist, joins BIO after spending the past two years as chief lobbyist for the Health Insurance Association of America (HIAA).

"Sharon Cohen's appointment signals our industry's commitment to have a persuasive and substantive voice in the upcoming debate over Medicare," BIO president Carl Feldbaum said in prepared statement. "Over the next several years we have an opportunity to find a solution to provide access to prescription drugs for seniors who currently lack coverage."

In addition to leading BIO's Committee on Reimbursement, Cohen will chair the new BIO staff health policy cluster made up of Steve Lawton, vice president for regulatory affairs and general counsel, and Lee Rawls, vice president for government relations and their staffs.

Cohen has been a Washington lobbyist for nearly 20 years. She was the director of congressional relations for the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association before joining HIAA. She also worked as deputy director of federal relations for the American Psychiatric Association and director of health policy for the Alliance for Aging Research. - Kim Coghill