Leadership

Uwe Schoenbeck, CSO of external science and innovation at Pfizer, knows the company set itself a high bar during the COVID-19 pandemic after rapidly bringing a breakthrough vaccine to market. While the circumstances for the development of Comirnaty were truly unique, Pfizer does not expect to rest on its laurels when it comes to innovative R&D.

Sandoz CEO Richard Saynor says the generics and biosimilars giant’s focus and strategy remain “unchanged” in the wake of a long-awaited announcement by parent company Novartis that it is exploring its options for the Sandoz business.

From pre-med to pharma lab rat to deputy director of operations at the FDA, Khushboo Sharma, a 2021 In Vivo Rising Leader and current VP of science and regulatory affairs at BIO, has spent her career pursuing a goal she says the FDA and biopharma industry have in common: ensuring that innovative drugs get to patients. 

Aside from a few high-profile exceptions, the biopharma industry supply chain has remained secure and resilient during the COVID-19 pandemic, outperforming retail and consumer goods. Chip Davis, Jr., head of the Healthcare Distribution Alliance, spoke with In Vivo about the need for a long-term industrial policy for drug manufacturing, real-time data-sharing and transparency in the supply chain, and minimizing disruptions.

Top executives at leading local and foreign drug firms in India by and large earned more in 2020-21, while differentials in CEO to median employee remuneration remained stark. With increasing scrutiny by shareholders and lawmakers, experts suggest that pharma should be more mindful of balancing “adequate” C-suite compensation and glaring inequalities.

An interactive look at recent executive-level company changes and promotions in the biopharma, medical device and diagnostics industries.

Seasoned business developer and investor Oern Stuge has worked with the very biggest in medtech in a career spanning over three decades. He bemoans the harm that European policymakers are doing to the one-time capital of the world of medtech innovation. But on the other hand, he knows that the best ideas have a habit of succeeding, regardless of geography.

Experts in drug development, clinical care and digital therapeutics discuss gaps in the treatment landscape for Alzheimer’s disease, as well as opportunities for prevention and innovation in care delivery.   

A selection of articles you might have missed from September 2021, including exclusive interviews and a look at pharma marketing trends in 2021.

An interactive look at recent executive-level company changes and promotions in the biopharma, medical device and diagnostics industries.

Amgen’s former chief information officer Diana McKenzie highlights the inroads made by technology firms in health care and how life science companies can adapt from them while leveraging core capabilities at scale.

"We are definitely worried," Tschudin said about some US drug price reform proposals. She also spoke about competitive rebating and new growth opportunities for anchor brands.