Ms. Rosa-Bjorkeson will manage Mesoblast’s commercial operations, leading the business units, building out key strategic alliances, and overseeing product launches.
She will be part of an expanded executive leadership structure that will deliver deep operational, commercial, and strategic pharmaceutical experience in line with the Company’s transition to becoming a fully integrated commercial organization.
Mesoblast Chief Executive Dr. Silviu Itescu stated: “I am pleased to welcome Ms Rosa-Bjorkeson to join our highly experienced and credentialed cross-functional executive leadership team. Mesoblast is very well positioned to build out our product portfolio and to be ready for the potential launch of RYONCIL™ in the United States market for pediatric steroid-refractory acute graft versus host disease.”
Ms. Rosa-Bjorkeson has more than 25 years of global experience in the pharmaceutical industry, including executive leadership in corporate and product strategy, market development, and operational execution. She has led multiple successful product launches, including Gilenya® for multiple sclerosis at Novartis where she was Vice President and Head of its multiple sclerosis business unit, Vice President, Business Development and Licensing in the United States, and Country Head and President for Novartis Sweden.
More recently, Ms. Rosa-Bjorkeson served as Executive Vice President and President, Biosimilars, at Baxalta, now a wholly-owned subsidiary of Takeda Pharmaceutical Company. She was also Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy and Development Officer at Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals. Ms. Rosa-Bjorkeson is highly valued for her ability to deliver product launch excellence across mass markets, as well as specialty and rare disease brands.
Ms. Rosa-Bjorkeson said: “I am very pleased to join Mesoblast at such an exciting and important time in the Company’s history, and to be part of a cross-functional leadership team that is working towards bringing its cell therapies to patients with critical unmet needs.”