Catharina Järlhem

Catharina Järlhem boasts over two decades of international portfolio and program management experience, spanning from early development to commercialization and launch execution. Over the past five years, her focus has primarily revolved around the field of rare diseases and orphan drugs. Her steadfast loyalty, resilience, and adaptability, combined with her coaching approach, ensure that project teams achieve significant milestones within stipulated timelines. With a proven track record in delivering major pharmaceutical projects and spearheading early access programs within the rare disease area, she brings a wealth of experience to the international arena, having worked with big pharma, start-up biotech, medical device, medical aid, and regulatory authorities such as EMA, FDA, TGA, and Health Canada.

Catharina commenced her career in the Respiratory and Inflammation therapeutic area at AstraZeneca’s Lund site in Sweden, focusing predominantly on Symbicort® (Budesonide & Formoterol) Turbuhaler® in the US, Europe, and Japan, as well as on the next generation of respiratory products, including medical devices. She possesses a deep understanding of change management and project transition, demonstrated by her role in transferring projects and personnel from closing sites (Lund & Charnwood, UK) to an expanding site in Mölndal, Sweden. Her commitment to diversity and inclusion underscores her equitable and consultative leadership style, which consistently brings out the best in team members.

Most recently, at HansaBiopharma, Catharina successfully guided the company through an EMA approval Idefirix (imlifidase) and launch execution across Europe. Additionally, she has extensive experience in early access programs within rare disease area throughout Europe and Australia. As a highly skilled and charismatic leader, she exhibits decisiveness, strong customer and stakeholder orientation, always with patient access/ patient associations at the forefront. Her exceptional people and organizational skills, coupled with her professional demeanour in a global setting, underscore her ability to drive collaborative performance with unwavering standards and ethics.

Catharina is also a respected facilitator, having conducted workshops for various entities, including regional administrations, focusing on change management, learnings and visionary strategies.

Catharina's expertise in social sciences from Lund University, Sweden, underscores her exceptional organizational abilities and adeptness in people management.