Astellas Pharma Europe, the European subsidiary of the Tokyo-based company, has promoted Dr Susan Wood to senior director of market access.
Wood joined the company in 2008, where she was most recently senior brand director for the company’s pain management franchise, which she held for three years.
During this time she led the launch of a peripheral neurotic pain treatment Qutenza (capsaicin), which involved an integrated market access approach at an early stage of strategic planning.
Commenting on the appointment, Ken Jones, president and CEO of Astellas Pharma Europe, said: “Sue will be working closely with our affiliates to drive the market access strategy across the Astellas Europe organisation in our key therapeutic areas, focusing on developing evidence-based models from the early stages of R&D until the mature stages of the product lifecycle.”
In her new role Wood will focus on developing the company’s market access activities and will report to Kay Drake, vice president marketing.
“I am very much looking forward to the challenge of supporting the company to achieve its strategic objectives,” said Wood.
“Astellas Pharma Europe has recently launched its oncology franchise, we are expecting some 11 products to be in launch or early-growth phase in the next three years.
“We are growing fast in anti-infectives, with the recently launched anti-infective Dificlir, the first new treatment in 50 years for clostridium difficile (C.diff), and we continue to affirm our category leadership in transplantation and urology.”
Wood has more than 13 years’ experience in international pharmaceutical marketing, with a particular focus on strategy. Prior to joining Astellas, she held management roles with Hoffman-La Roche, Biogen and Sanofi Pasteur.