Pfizer Appoints Dr. James List as New Chief Medical Officer for Internal Medicine

On March 6, Pfizer announced the appointment of Dr. James List as its new Chief Medical Officer for Internal Medicine. In this pivotal role, Dr. List will oversee Pfizer's internal medicine portfolio, managing everything from early drug discovery to late-stage development, including medical affairs and business development strategies. His focus will be on advancing the company’s pipelines in cardiovascular, metabolic, hematology, and obesity.

Before joining Pfizer, Dr. List was the Senior Vice President and global head of cardiovascular and metabolic therapies at Janssen Pharmaceuticals. During his tenure, he led drug discovery, clinical development, and external innovation across cardiovascular, metabolic, and retinal diseases, utilizing various therapeutic modalities such as small molecules, peptides, biologics, RNA therapies, and AAV gene therapies.

Dr. List played a crucial role in leading multiple clinical outcome trials in cardiovascular and renal medicine at Janssen, contributing to the approval of several new drugs and the expansion of indications.

He earned his bachelor’s degree and a master's in medical microbiology and philosophy from Stanford University, followed by an M.D. and Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota. After completing his medical training at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston Children’s Hospital, and Massachusetts General Hospital, he obtained board certifications in internal medicine, pediatrics, and endocrinology. He currently holds active medical licenses in New Jersey and Massachusetts.

His doctoral research focused on viral pathogenesis, and his postdoctoral research at Massachusetts General Hospital centered on GLP-1. In July 2003, he joined Harvard Medical School as a faculty member, gaining valuable clinical experience in endocrinology.

After a year at Harvard, he transitioned to the pharmaceutical sector, starting at Bristol-Myers Squibb, where he held various leadership roles and contributed significantly to the regulatory approvals of key diabetes medications. In October 2014, he joined Janssen Pharmaceuticals as the global head of metabolic therapies, later expanding his responsibilities to include multiple therapeutic areas.