Nordic Life Science 1
82 “MY KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE FROM PREVIOUS ROL
ES HELPS US TO DESIGN SMART AND SPEEDY STUDIES. I AM ALSO USED TO WORKING IN A VERY FAST PACED AND COMPETITIVE AMERICAN ENVIRONMENT WHEN EVERY MINUTE COUNTS AND SPEED IS OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE.” MARIE-LOUISE FJÄLLSKOG Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates where she was Head of Oncology at the Cleveland Clinic. When returning home in 2011 she took on her first role in the pharmaceutical industry, and began designing clinical development programs within oncology. “I am intrigued by detective stories and I love trying to find solutions. Oncology is a like a big mystery with many unsolved questions, it is a fascinating field,” says Marie-Louise. Before joining Faron she was CMO at the US company Sensei Biotherapeutics, where she was responsible for leading clinical and development strategy and operations. She also played a key role in Sensei’s successful 152 million USD IPO, which closed in February 2021. She has also worked as Vice President, Clinical Development at Merus and Infinity Pharmaceuticals, as well as Global Clinical Program Leader at the Novartis Institute for Biomedical Research. “My previous experience in US-based companies is extremely important for the success of Faron. In all my previous positions I have worked on programs fighting the immune suppressive tumor microenvironment to make existing immunotherapy even better and successful in more patients. Given that Faron is working in the same space, my knowledge and experience from previous roles helps us to design smart and speedy studies. I am also used to working in a very fast paced and competitive American environment when every minute counts and speed is of utmost importance,” says Marie-Louise. ”Oncology is like a big mystery with many unsolved questions, it is a fascinating field,” says Marie-Louise Fjällskog. With over 30 years experience in clinical oncology, translational research, and drug development, Marie-Louise is also contributing with her knowledge on the boards of Swedish biotech company Biovica and Norwegian biopharma company Lytix Biopharma. “I can help evaluate the scientific rigor, practical questions, and clinical development of the devices and drugs. My connections help to identify people for different key roles, and I can advise on the US market,” she says. “These assignments bring a lot of new knowledge, which is always important in my work as CMO, including networking.” When it comes to the emerging field of oncology, Marie-Louise sees a trend towards combing drugs, attacking the cancer in many different ways to have a higher chance of being successful. “My focus remains on immunotherapy – in combinations with chemotherapy, small molecules and other immunotherapies. Individualized therapy is also a huge trend – to give the patients the treatment their tumor requires, and nothing more. The right treatment for the right patient, leading to better efficacy and less side effects,” she says. Within medicine and drug development she says that Finland’s strengths are rigorous science and smart people coming up with smart solutions. “High quality and reliable delivery,” she summarizes. NLS