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Linda Distlerath
Linda Distlerath, senior vice president, based in APCO Worldwide’s Washington, D.C., office brings to clients 20 years of experience in public affairs, public policy and global health policy. She formerly held the position of vice president of global health policy and health policy, Asia Pacific, at Merck & Co., Inc. Dr. Distlerath offers clients expertise in HIV/AIDS and vaccine-related policy, collaborations with nongovernmental organizations and public-private partnerships with foundations, multi-lateral organizations, academic institutions and governments worldwide. She has significant experience in sub-Saharan Africa, China and Southeast Asia.
While at Merck, Dr. Distlerath spearheaded the development and implementation of the African Comprehensive HIV/AIDS Partnerships (ACHAP), a unique public-private partnership among Merck and The Merck Company Foundation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Government of Botswana. She also created another major HIV/AIDS partnership between Merck and the government of China. Other initiatives included the Inter-Company Collaboration for AIDS Drug Development, a consortium of 16 research-based pharmaceutical companies under the leadership of Merck; Dr. Distlerath was key to the development, management and implementation of the industry effort to further AIDS drug development. She played a leadership role in the development of the Forum for Collaborative HIV Research, an initiative launched among leaders from the pharmaceutical industry, academia, government and the AIDS advocacy community to facilitate treatment-related research.
Dr. Distlerath led Merck’s efforts in forging relationships with the AIDS advocacy community in the Unites States in the early 1990s during the clinical development and introduction of Crixivan®, Merck’s HIV protease inhibitor. She is an active contributor to numerous HIV/AIDS- related forums and programs, including those associated with the HIV/AIDS Task Force at the Center for Strategic & International Studies, the World Economic Forum and the Council on Foreign Relations.
She began her work at Merck Research Laboratories (MRL) as a clinical research associate in 1984, Dr. Distlerath transitioned to academic and industry relations for MRL and then moved to corporate public affairs in 1989 where she held positions as executive director for public affairs, executive director of public policy, vice president of public affairs and served as president of The Merck Company Foundation.
Dr. Distlerath holds a Bachelor of Science in Medical Technology from the University of Michigan and a Doctor of Philosophy in Environmental Health from the University of Cincinnati. She completed a post-doctoral fellowship in biochemistry at Vanderbilt University and holds a Juris Doctor from Rutgers Law School-Newark. Dr. Distlerath is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, a trustee for the Committee for Economic Development an advisory board member for the journal Global Health Governance, and adjunct professor in public health at East Tennessee State University.
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