IGBA Appoints New Secretary General As Kox Steps Down
As Medicines For Europe’s Van Den Hoven Chairs Global Industry Body In 2024
Executive Summary
Inaugural IGBA secretary general Suzette Kox has stepped down from the role after five years, passing leadership of the organization to Susana Almeida. At the same time, Medicines for Europe director general Adrian van den Hoven has taken up the position of IGBA chair for 2024.
Suzette Kox, the inaugural secretary general of the International Generic and Biosimilar Medicines Association, is stepping down from the role and handing over the baton to Susana Almeida, who has taken up the position with immediate effect.
David Gaugh, interim CEO of the US Association for Accessible Medicines – who has served as the IGBA’s chair for most of 2023 (see sidebar) – said the global industry organization “thanks Suzette for her leadership during these past five years, which established IGBA as an indispensable actor in global health conversations.”
“A major milestone was achieved in 2023 by establishing an international external engagement committee,” Gaugh pointed out, “and by co-organizing with the World Health Organization the first joint action plan meeting to expand equitable and sustainable access to generic and biosimilar medicines, building from the existing WHO-IGBA workplan and forming the foundation for ongoing dialogue and coordination.” (Also see "IGBA And WHO Ally On Access Ambitions" - Generics Bulletin, 10 Nov, 2023.)
New IGBA secretary general Almeida has previously served as clinical development and safety director at European off-patent industry association Medicines for Europe, before which she was co-chair of the organization’s bioequivalence and clinical development working group.
“With over 20 years of substantial contribution to the role of the European and international generic and biosimilar medicines industry’s trade bodies, Susana also brings significant experience in the process of international harmonization of standards through the International Conference on Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH),” the IGBA noted.
Almeida said she “could not be happier to join IGBA,” expressing a “firm belief that the generic and biosimilar medicines industry plays a vital role in fostering patient access to quality-assured medicines at sustainable cost.”
“I look forward to working with IGBA members to make our voice heard,” Almeida said, emphasizing that “a strong off patent sector is essential to a healthy medicines ecosystem.”
At the same time, Medicines for Europe director general Adrian van den Hoven has taken up the role of IGBA chair for 2024, following on from Gaugh in 2023.
Commenting on Almeida’s appointment as IGBA secretary general, van den Hoven said her “strong international regulatory, policy and business experience will help the generic and biosimilar medicines industry fulfil its vital public health mission in partnership with our stakeholders.”
“I’m excited to work with her and with Vinita Gupta from Lupin chairing our CEO advisory committee to drive much needed reforms to medicines policies across the globe”, van den Hoven added, with Gupta having recently taken over as head of the committee from Sandoz CEO Richard Saynor. (Also see "Lupin’s Gupta Moves Up To Lead IGBA Leadership Committee" - Generics Bulletin, 14 Dec, 2023.)
At the same time as van den Hoven became IGBA chair, Shinichiro Hirose – director of international affairs at the Japan Generic Medicines Association (JGA) – has stepped up to become the IGBA’s vice-chair for 2024.