Agnieszka Grzybowska-Zalewska new president of Infarma

Agnieszka Grzybowska-Zalewska is President of the Management Board of Sanofi in Poland and CEO of Specialty Care, one of Sanofi's key business units, offering breakthrough therapies in the areas of rare diseases, oncology, immunology and multiple sclerosis. She has been in the pharmaceutical industry for more than 20 years, sharing her experience and expertise in the areas of management and marketing and sales. She has also spearheaded efforts to spread knowledge and expand access to treatment for patients with rare diseases in Poland. From the very beginning, she participated in the creation of the National Plan for Rare Diseases, working closely with patient associations to fully understand their needs and expectations. With many years of experience extended to many other therapeutic areas such as oncology, neurology, immunology and others, she is well aware of the problems faced by patients, doctors and the national health care system. INFARMA's new CEO is a graduate of the Faculty of Biology at the University of Gdansk and the Faculty of Pharmacy at the Medical University of Gdansk. Her passions in life are scuba diving, yoga and long-distance travel with her husband and closest friends.

Agnieszka Grzybowska-Zalewska, as INFARMA's newly elected CEO, takes the helm at an important moment for the industry at the final stage of the reimbursement law amendment procedure and the first review of EU pharmaceutical legislation in 20 years, which began in April this year, and which will affect the development of and access to innovative therapies for decades to come.

- This is a great honor and proof of trust for me, for which I thank all the members of the Board of Directors and INFARMA's member companies. I am extremely looking forward to our work together, deeply believing that it is the innovation industry that plays a key role in the public debate, shaping a strong and stable health care sector in our country, with a real impact on improving Polish patients' access to the latest therapies and, consequently, their health and comfort of life. We are facing an extremely interesting time for Poland and the Polish health care system, and despite the many challenges ahead, I take the helm with optimism. At the same time, I would like to thank Nienke for her long-standing contribution and commitment and achievements in implementing INFARMA's priorities, and I wish her further success," said Grzybowska-Zalewska Agnieszka.

Nienke Feenstra was re-elected President of INFARMA in 2022, serving in the position for a total of 3 years, a period when the innovative pharmaceutical industry faced enormous challenges related to the Covid19 pandemic, the outbreak of war in Ukraine or the first amendment to the reimbursement law in 10 years. During this time, INFARMA undertook a number of initiatives and activities in support of patients, the health care system and also aid to Ukraine. There was also an active and partnership dialogue with all stakeholders in the system, policy makers and the pharmaceutical industry in Poland. Several important projects have been initiated that have been positively received, such as the Patients.Pro program, which supports the development of competence and independence of patient organizations, and the Access Gap online platform, which analyzes data on the availability of innovative medicines in the Visegrad Group countries. The aim of the project is not only to facilitate access to data and analysis, but also to initiate a discussion on the measures needed to close the gaps in access to modern treatment, which is continuing. A letter of intent was also signed to cooperate with the Polish Academy of Sciences to conduct long-term educational activities aimed at stakeholders and the public on the health care system. Activities supporting the development of clinical research in Poland were also one of the priorities.

- It has been a pleasure and an honor to serve as INFARMA's president for the past three years. At a time of many geopolitical and health challenges, I am proud of what has been achieved for Polish patients, health care professionals and the health care system. This has been achieved through partnership, intense debate and the contributions of so many people. Access to medicines has improved, the voice of patients has become stronger, healthcare is more of a priority than it was, as evidenced by numerous initiatives. The passion, dedication and competence of so many people contributed to this, and it was very rewarding to be part of this great collective effort," Nienke Feenstra concluded.

Delegates at the General Assembly elected members of the Board of Directors and the composition of the Supervisory Board of the Union of Employers of Innovative Pharmaceutical Companies INFARMA.

Source: INFARMA press office