CEO Insights Magazine

Women leaders from different industries are setting examples for the gennext by showcasing their valuable contributions in their relevant workspaces. Dr.Anju Agarwal, a dentist by profession, holds extensive knowledge and experience about the pharmaceutical industry as she has been serving in the space for almost fifteen years. Her interest to acquire knowledge and to contribute in the clinical space led her to pursue a course on pharmaceuticals and obtain a job in one of the top Indian Multinational Pharma company as a Senior Research Scientist. She worked there for almost four years, gained enormous know-how in the clinical space. After having experience in vaccine pharmacovigilance and dental products Pharmacovigilance and later moved to another Indian Multinational Pharma company as a Head Pharmacovigilance. Her interest to attain more heights in her career enabled her to acquire the leadership role where she efficiently worked for the company’s global system. The journey from clinical practice to core pharmaceutical research was aligned with criticalities and challenges, but Anju never stopped to address those. Her confidence, dedication, and support from her family have been the key to her success. After working in multiple Indian Pharma companies for about nine years she joined Advanz Pharma almost five years back where she became the Director of Global Patient Safety.

Here’s an exclusive interview of Dr. Anju Agarwal on how she leads the patient safety department in Advanz

Pharma.

What makes you passionate about your job in ADVANZ PHARMA Practices? Unique traits of your direction and what impact are you creating in ADVANZ PHARMA?
The pharmaceutical domain has always attracted me and I was keen to contribute to this space. I joined Advanz Pharma as the Head of Drug Safety Global and later been promoted as Director of Global Patient Safety. This role offers challenges as well as satisfaction, as I stay connected with the patients, healthcare professionals (doctors, pharmacists) and regulatory agencies. We at Advanz Pharma understand and keep the knowledge bank of organization updated about risks our drugs can lead to. We try to help our patients and Health Care Professionals to mitigate the drug risk.

Advanz Pharma is a specialty pharmaceutical company with truly Global setup and mind set. Advanz Pharma has teams working from different corners of the globe, with people from different cultural backgrounds, thoughts and ideas but still same goals and paramount in same is to bring safe and efficacious drugs in the market. There is a diversity of thoughts yet a unity to deliver following the right processes and requirements.

Advanz Pharma has helped me to enhance my knowledge through its beautiful culture & atmosphere, and believe in me. The organization culture encourages its employee to grow and shine professionally. My role here brings both medical and scientific insights. My team stands out to be the biggest strength for me. I help my team understand my

vision as a leader along with trying to identify their areas of strength. I create opportunities for them to grow and try to keep them happy as I believe that is the key to success for any employee.

Tell us more about how the teams across the globe and in India are built. What is the key factor that helps ADVANZ PHARMA to perform persistently in the pharmaceutical sector?
I am integral part of Medical Office of Advanz Pharma Medical office at Advanz Pharma is led by the Chief Medical Officer based out of Great Britain. Patient Safety function further has six divisions comprised of a good mix of pharmacist and physicians. The team has expertise around pharmaceutical space with eagerness for continuous learning and innovation. The combination of intellect and experience in the team helps us to deliver the best support to patients and Health care professionals.

How the company is managing to deliver quality as well as timely services meeting the regional requirements?
Advanz Pharma has physical presence directly or via partners in eighty countries across the world. As regulations across the Globe are not harmonized, Advanz Pharma has created common global processes with attached country specific annexures. Subject matter experts are allotted for every region ensuring that regional patient support can be provided.

Pharmaceutical is an ever changing field. Guidelines and regulations keep changing from country to country and we have to take instant decisions as and when changes happen. However, Advanz Pharma’s vision is also changing now. The organization is focusing on complex hospital molecules and targeting to be go to partner for complex hospital medicines. Advanz Pharma has two basic portfolio 1. established product portfolio (niche generic molecules range); 2. Specialized Molecules portfolio (complex hospital molecules).