Giorgio Calderari, Group General Manager and Chief Operating Officer, on receiving the award: “We’re very pleased that the Swiss Biotech Association has recognized us for our commitment to improving the lives of those living with cancer. The team at Helsinn is always striving to find innovative solutions for cancer patients, with our business strategy underpinned by our cores values of quality, integrity and respect.”
What makes Helsinn successful - in Switzerland as well as in the international markets?
Riccardo Bragila: We attribute our success to a consistent and a clear business strategy focused on a portfolio of quality innovative cancer and rare disease products guided by our values of respect, integrity and quality. Helsinn has expertise in research, development, manufacturing and the commercialization of therapeutic and supportive care products that are used in oncology, rare diseases and dermatology.
At Helsinn, we have market leading R&D and commercialisation capabilities that are targeted to meet patient demand, unparalleled licensing experience globally which is supported by a strong, global network of B2B partners, expertise in product registration, manufacturing marketing, scientific, medical and regulatory affairs, and direct access to customers in key markets through US and China subsidiaries.
We believe it is our extensive expertise and unified business strategy that has enabled our progress in both Switzerland and globally.
How have you built up your international presence exporting Swiss quality around the world?
Riccardo Braglia: Healthcare is a truly global issue and our focus areas are oncology, rare diseases and dermatology, meaning that many of our patients are living with unmet needs. This has meant that from the day we started over 40 years ago, we were not only focused on the welfare of patients in Switzerland, but we have looked beyond our borders, around the world. Helsinn has an international outlook in everything it does: from working with partners to developing and commercialising products globally; to opening subsidiaries in the US and China. Our mission has always been to help as many patients as possible and when we export Helsinn overseas we always make sure that we retain our values of respect, integrity and quality.
Our strategy is dependent on the region and the opportunities that arise. In the US, for example, we established a presence by acquiring a biotech company in 2009. With this foothold we were able to create a fully integrated commercial oncology company in the US – Helsinn Therapeutics INC.
Helsinn has made significant progress in China, with a presence in Beijing since 2012. In 2017, Helsinn Pharmaceuticals (Beijing) Co. Ltd., was established and the Shanghai branch was opened. Helsinn products have been approved by China’s regulatory body NMPA since this expansion and our most recent milestone was the Chinese launch of the oral formulation of Akynzeo® for the treatment of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) in June 2020.
Alongside our own expansion, over the last 40 years Helsinn has built a strong network of global partners, seeking out opportunities with individual companies and working towards sustainable, sensible growth which aligns with our commitment to quality. Helsinn’s partnership model focuses on the identification of Novel Chemical Entities (NCE) in the development phase, which are then in-licensed with worldwide rights. Once we have a product aligned with our mission and portfolio, we utilize our integrated capabilities and our in-house knowledge to complete development and secure marketing approvals and commercialization worldwide, either directly or through our partners.
Helsinn is proud of having maintained a network of more than 80 partners for more than 30 years through different economic cycles, new products and new challenges. One example of our success is the development of strong business relationships in Japan, with long-term partners who have successfully taken our products into the market. Similarly, we have trusted partnerships in the US and Europe. In addition, we have found success in our collaborative model of co-detailing and co-promotion with partners in China and the US.
Do you have any tips for Swiss biotech companies that want to export?
Riccardo Braglia:
To build an international business every company needs good relationships and to build these you need to work with other people and companies that share the same values.
Everything we do is driven by our values of respect, integrity and quality. We pride ourselves on delivering on what we promise and on being able to offer a unique proposition compared to what is available in other markets. This means that you not only open doors that allow you to start exporting internationally, but ultimately it means you become the partner of choice for many customers around the world.
What is your vision for the further expansion/growth?
Riccardo Braglia: We are open to a wide range of growth strategies, as long as they align with our mission to help patients worldwide, guided by our values of respect, integrity and quality. Our key focus areas of oncology, rare diseases and dermatology are all growing and remain areas of high unmet need. Where we believe we can add value, we will do it through our own development, partnerships and acquisitions.
