PharmaEssentia is a global biopharmaceutical company with a growing presence around the world. We employ more than 700 people globally, including about 200 in the U.S., with teams across six countries and partners in Canada, Europe, and Latin America. PharmaEssentia USA serves as the company’s U.S. commercial arm. Across our global network, we work together to bring high-quality, meaningful treatments to patients around the world. PharmaEssentia leverages its global manufacturing and quality expertise to help maintain a steady and reliable supply of its medicines.
PharmaEssentia is working to bring new best-in-class therapies to patients with hematology and oncology diseases. Powered by world-class expertise and grounded in pioneering science, our aim is to transform the risk/benefit profiles of existing therapies, giving physicians new therapeutic tools for early intervention.
PharmaEssentia was founded in 2003 by Dr. Ko-Chung Lin, who was inspired to return to Taiwan following a government-led mission to Boston that aimed to recruit overseas biotech talent. With limited resources but a bold vision to build a world-class pharmaceutical company, Dr. Lin began fundraising and laying the groundwork. In the company’s early days, operations were modest, relying on borrowed spaces and a small, dedicated team. Soon after, Dr. Ching-Leou Teng and Dr. Jack Hwang joined Dr. Lin to form the company’s founding team, united by a shared commitment to advancing science in Taiwan.
PharmaEssentia USA Corporation, set up in 2017, serves as the U.S. commercial entity of PharmaEssentia Corporation and is based in Burlington, Massachusetts. We support the commercial, medical, and regulatory activities needed to bring treatment options to patients. Working closely with our global colleagues, PharmaEssentia USA helps transform scientific innovation into meaningful therapies, while partnering with healthcare professionals and patient communities to advance education, access, and high-quality care across the United States.
Founder, Chief Executive Officer and US General Manager
Dr. Lin has led PharmaEssentia since 2002, driven by a rich and diverse career at leading U.S. pharmaceutical companies. He is recognized for medicinal chemistry advances in pegylation, including the invention of pegylated interferon, which have led to the development and successful market entry of multiple leading therapeutics. Prior to PharmaEssentia, Dr. Lin led key therapeutic programs at Biogen. Earlier in his career, he contributed to research and development in HIV therapies during his time at Monsanto.
Dr. Lin received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in chemistry from National Taiwan Normal University, his Ph.D. from the University of Missouri, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Michigan.
Chairperson
Dr. Teng brings extensive expertise in pharmaceutical science and development to the PharmaEssentia team. After joining the company as Head of Operations in 2003, she became Chairperson in 2009. Prior to PharmaEssentia, Dr. Teng held multiple leadership roles in drug delivery research and pharmaceutical development at Ionis™ (formerly ISIS) Pharmaceuticals, and previously served as a reviewer in the Pharmacokinetics Evaluation Branch of the Division of Biopharmaceutics at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Early in her career, Dr. Teng was a registered pharmacist at hospitals in Taiwan.
She earned her B.S. in pharmacy from Taipei Medical College and an M.S. in pharmaceutical science from North Dakota State University. She completed her Ph.D. and postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Michigan.
General Manager, HQ
Dr. Hwang joined PharmaEssentia in 2006 and has served as General Manager in Taiwan since 2015. With training in organic chemistry, he has held a series of leadership roles at prior companies, including as Senior Director at Optimer Pharmaceuticals, Senior Group Leader at Array BioPharma, and earlier as a research scientist at Amgen and Ligand Pharmaceuticals.
Dr. Hwang completed his Ph.D. in organic chemistry and post-doctoral fellowship in natural product synthesis at the University of Pennsylvania.
Chief Scientific Officer
Dr. Lin joined PharmaEssentia in August 2022 to lead the company’s global research and development (R&D) activities to expand and diversify the pipeline and to enhance the company’s R&D engagement globally and in critical markets.
Prior to PharmaEssentia, Dr. Lin was a leader at Sanofi in Boston where she was the Head of Checkpoint immunology cluster in Immunology and Inflammation Research Area, following a long tenure at Pfizer in senior research and development roles. Her work in both companies led to the discovery of clinical candidates, including small molecules and antibodies for immune-mediated diseases.
Dr. Lin graduated from National Taiwan University with an undergraduate degree in Pharmacy and a master’s degree in biochemistry. She earned her doctorate in biochemistry at the University of Arizona. She has published more than 70 papers and patents on immunology-related topics.
Chief Medical Officer
Dr. Qin joined PharmaEssentia in 2017 and brings more than 20 years of experience in the biotech and pharmaceutical industry, with an emphasis on clinical development. His recent leadership roles include Chief Medical Officer at China Health Group, Chief Scientific Officer and Corporate Officer at SymBio Pharmaceuticals, and Medical Director at ImmunoGen™. Earlier in his career, he held clinical development and R&D roles at Pfizer, Bayer, and Biogen. At Biogen, he conducted innovative research and made discoveries related to cytokines, immunology, and gene therapy.
Dr. Qin learned his medical degree from the Department of Medicine at Shandong Medical University in China and his Ph.D. in biochemistry and molecular pharmacology from Harvard Medical School. He also completed a visiting research fellowship at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
Vice President, Business Operations and Strategy
Sam Lin serves as the Vice President of Business Operations and Strategy for PharmaEssentia. He brings more than 15 years of professional experience in the areas of business development, project management as well as consulting in IT and healthcare, patent law, and engineering. Prior to his tenure at PharmaEssentia, Mr. Lin was a patent agent for a private law firm in Washington DC, and previously a patent examiner with the U.S. Patient and Trade Office (USPTO).
Mr. Lin earned his B.S. from the University of Maryland, an MBA from Duke University and an MPH in Health Management from Harvard University.
Vice President, Head of Legal & Compliance
Beth Krewson has more than 20 years of legal experience serving as a compliance leader in the life sciences industry. Prior to joining PharmaEssentia, Ms. Krewson served as the first in-house General Counsel at Formation Bio, the Senior Vice President and General Counsel & Compliance Officer at BlueRock Therapeutics LP and held General Counsel & Chief Compliance Officer positions at Innocoll Biotherapeutics N.A. Inc. and Churchill Pharmaceuticals LLC. She has also held senior legal and compliance positions at Incyte Corporation, Celgene Corporation and GlaxoSmithKline.
Ms. Krewson received her J.D. from Suffolk University Law School in Boston and is a U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) Registered Attorney with law licenses in Maryland, Washington, D.C. and Pennsylvania.
Vice President, Head of Sales
Olivier Battaglione brings more than 15 years of commercial leadership experience in the pharmaceutical industry, with expertise in product launches, salesforce development, and business growth across rare diseases, oncology, neurology, nephrology, cardiology, and hospital sales. He has a strong record of building high-performing teams and advancing innovative therapies in specialized markets.
Before his appointment as Head of Sales at PharmaEssentia, Mr. Battaglione served as Regional Business Director and Senior Area Business Director at the company, and previously held leadership roles at Adamas Pharmaceuticals and Lundbeck. He earned his B.A. in Sociology from the City University of New York – Queens College and his M.B.A. in Marketing and Management from Syracuse University’s Martin J. Whitman School of Management.
Head of Marketing
Rebeca Bechily brings more than a decade of experience in biopharmaceutical marketing, specializing in brand strategy, omnichannel innovation, and portfolio leadership. She has guided teams through the development and execution of integrated campaigns, digital transformation initiatives, and lifecycle management across multiple therapeutic areas, including oncology, hematology, endocrine, and neuromuscular diseases.
Prior to joining PharmaEssentia, Ms. Bechily held senior leadership roles at Xeris Pharmaceuticals and Shire, where she oversaw U.S. marketing and brand portfolio strategy, spearheaded regional and national campaigns to expand access, and launched the company’s first internal creative agency. Ms. Bechily earned her MBA in Marketing and International Business from the University of Miami Herbert Business School and her B.S. in Public Relations from the University of Florida.
Vice President, Head of Human Resources and Employee Development
Tracey Willey brings more than 20 years of experience in human resources and business operations, with expertise in performance management, talent development, employee engagement, and organizational growth. She has a proven track record of building HR infrastructure and leading people strategies across healthcare, technology, and consulting sectors.
Before joining PharmaEssentia, Ms. Willey served as Senior Vice President of People at Raintree Systems and as Vice President of Human Resources at Panalgo. Earlier in her career, she held leadership roles in finance and operations for international management consulting firms. She earned her B.A. in English from Gordon College.
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