Biocon Biologics appoints susheel Umesh as chief commercial officer for emerging mkts

Biocon Biologics announced that Susheel Umesh has joined Biocon Biologics as the Chief Commercial Officer- Emerging Markets from March 1, 2021.

He will drive the company’s business in the Emerging Markets (EMs) and will
also be responsible for the branded formulations business.

Susheel has over 30 years of experience in the pharmaceuticals industry, having worked in India, France and Sub-Saharan Africa for leading global pharma companies. He has managed global brands as well as led different functions in India and overseas in sales and marketing, business development and operations excellence.

Most recently, he led the domestic
formulations of an Indian biotech company as its Chief Executive Officer. His expertise in building businesses based on patient centricity, ethics and business integrity makes him a perfect fit for Biocon Biologics’ emerging markets business at a time when the company is setting up a direct commercial presence in many of these markets to cater to the rapidly increasing demand for biosimilars.

With this appointment, Biocon Biologics will move its commercial operations from Singapore to its headquarters in Bengaluru.

Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Executive Chairperson, Biocon Biologics, said, “We are very happy to welcome Susheel Umesh to Biocon Biologics. As Chief Commercial Officer, Susheel will be responsible for driving the company’s growth strategy in Emerging Markets on a platform of
affordable access. With Dr Arun Chandavarkar taking over as Managing Director of Biocon Biologics, Shreehas Tambe as Deputy CEO and Susheel as CCO, I believe, we now have a strong leadership team to drive the future growth of our biosimilars business. Biocon Biologics is built on strong business fundamentals and the biosimilars market remains a large addressable opportunity. I am confident of returning the company to its high growth trajectory soon.”

Dr Arun Chandavarkar, Managing Director, Biocon Biologics said, “We are extremely delighted to have Susheel Umesh lead our commercial operations for the emerging markets. Susheel has deep expertise in diverse therapy areas, including diabetes, oncology, cardiology and transplantation, and has a proven track record of delivering robust business growth. In his role as Chief Commercial Officer, Susheel will drive Biocon Biologics’ strategy for unlocking business opportunities in emerging markets, where we are ramping up our presence. Susheel’s demonstrated leadership skills in building winning teams to deliver exceptional results through innovative and ethical practices, will go a long way in making Biocon Biologics a global leader.”

Susheel Umesh, Chief Commercial Officer-Emerging Markets, said, “I am extremely proud to join Biocon Biologics, at this juncture where it has established a strong biosimilars business in global markets in collaboration with its partners. I believe the company is well-positioned to impact millions of patients globally, capitalising on its strengths in science and global scale manufacturing expertise. In my role as Chief Commercial Officer of Emerging Markets, I look forward to scaling up the company’s business in emerging markets, expanding its footprint, as well as strengthening the patient-centric business environment. Together we stay committed to enable affordable access to patients, lower treatment costs for healthcare systems and improve overall healthcare outcomes.”

Biocon Biologics has the scientific expertise and manufacturing scale to deliver complex biosimilars to patients across the globe. Its strong portfolio of in-market and in-development biosimilars covering Oncology, Diabetes, Immunology and other therapeutic areas, offer one of the industry’s largest and most diverse global biosimilars pipelines.

Biocon Biologics, has a footprint in the majority of the top 20 emerging markets and will be a meaningful contributor to the company’s sustained growth.