3 questions to Graham Dorey – Member Interpharma Board and General Manager Switzerland, Biogen

Would you please briefly introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about the position you currently hold in your company?

I am a trained pharmacist and completed an MBA at the London Business School and a Master of Public Health at the University of Zurich. I have worked in the pharmaceutical industry for more than 30 years, for innovative pharmaceutical companies such as Sanofi, MSD and Novo Nordisk in local and global leadership positions in the UK, France and Switzerland. Since joining Biogen in 2019, I have served as Head of Commercial Multiple Sclerosis, Spinal Muscular Atrophy and Rare Diseases and, since 2022, as the General Manager for Switzerland. In my work, I attach a great deal of importance to having a passion for people and creating a diverse work culture that empowers teams to be independent, tackle challenges and improve themselves. This is also supported by Biogen’s vision of conducting research on the things that matter in life.

What do you want to focus on in your role as a member of the Interpharma Board?

In my new role, I will continue to advocate for a strong healthcare system and an innovative research landscape in Switzerland that puts patients at the center of its efforts. The early submission of authorization applications and their quick approval (Wave 1 country) by Swissmedic as well as rapid admission to the Specialties List (access from day 0) of new, innovative medicines are the prerequisites for this and need to be improved. At the same time, the discussion should not focus solely on the costs of innovation, but primarily on its benefits and added value for society. Switzerland must develop a comprehensive strategy for its future as a center of research, innovation and production if it is to maintain and build on its strong global position in the face of rising international competition. Interpharma will continue to strongly support that effort, and I want to play my part in that as a member of the Board.

How important to your company is Switzerland’s role as an industry hub? Where and how can Switzerland improve as a pharmaceutical center, and what changes need to be made to the framework conditions?

Biogen has been closely tied to Switzerland as a location since it was established in Geneva in 1978. Today, with its international headquarters in Baar in the canton of Zug, Biogen has its second global center in Switzerland alongside the global headquarters in Boston, USA. In Luterbach near Solothurn, we also operate a state-of-the-art production facility that enables large-scale production of biopharmaceuticals. Here in Switzerland, we benefit from the good framework conditions offered to us by the proximity to leading universities and innovative biotech clusters, as well as the stable political and economic situation. The EU is not just one of the most important trade partners for Switzerland – we also work closely together in the field of research. So for Switzerland as a research location, inclusion in Horizon Europe – the EU’s research framework program – is extremely important. Here, too, negotiations must be stepped up a gear to safeguard Switzerland’s association with the world’s biggest and most important research program as quickly as possible.