Sandra Ramirez – LATAM Area Lead, Astellas Pharma, Mexico

Meeting highlights: 

• Astellas consolidated its presence in Latin America (Colombia, Mexico, Argentina, Chile) with over 250 employees. 
• The company has doubled sales and expanded its reach, focusing on unmet medical needs in prostate cancer, women's health, hematology, and other areas. 
• Talent and Diversity as key drivers of success with 54% women and 46% men. 
• Emphasis on inclusion and equal opportunities to foster innovation. 
• Scientific Focus: Commitment to addressing medical needs with a strong portfolio of innovative therapies. 
• Patient-Centric Approach: Collaborations with governments and institutions to ensure equitable access to treatments. 
• Achieved 92% employee engagement by focusing on being present in employees' personal and professional lives. 
• Future Outlook for 2025: Continued investments in new therapies, workforce expansion, and partnerships to improve patient access. 
• Astellas plans to navigate regional complexities while leveraging Latin America's resilience and opportunities. 
• Sandra Ramirez emphasizes equitable healthcare access as a universal right and positions Astellas as a leader committed to bridging healthcare disparities in Latin America. 

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EF: Today, what is LATAM's strategic importance and relevance to Astellas and Astellas to LATAM? 

SR: Over the past five years, many significant developments have occurred in the Latin American region for Astellas. We now have a consolidated organization across four key countries: Colombia, Mexico, Chile, and Argentina. These markets demonstrate great potential, and our teams are highly committed and engaged in capitalizing on the opportunities available. Since 2020, we've been working hard to expand our reach and bring new opportunities to patients in these countries. At the same time, we've been actively contributing to the communities and societies where we operate. Thanks to these efforts, we've seen incredible growth, our sales have grown 2.5 times, reflecting our team's dedication and the clear direction we've been following. 

Our growing workforce is a key highlight, as we have more than 250 employees across the Latin American region. Our diverse team has a wealth of experience, and we are proud to be fostering innovation to address the unmet medical needs of our patients. As a Japanese company, we remain committed to delivering science-driven solutions and maintaining a strong foundation in innovation. We are currently at a pivotal and exciting stage in our journey. While many companies in the pharmaceutical industry are downsizing or restructuring, we are taking the opposite approach by actively expanding. In the past two months alone, we have welcomed over 30 new employees in Mexico to strengthen our capabilities and enhance access to treatments for patients. 

EF: Looking at the region you mentioned, what drives growth, and how does it look on the map? 

SR: Three key points define the success of this resource. The first is our people—the talent within our organization. We've discussed this often because it's central to everything we do. Our diverse, inclusive workforce of the highest quality is essential to supporting our patients. Diversity and inclusion are not just ideas for us; they are real and visible. We have a diverse team that comes from different backgrounds with different experiences. Our workforce consists of 54% women and 46% men, and 33% of women in leadership roles. We are working hard to ensure equal opportunities for both men and women so that both have the same chance to grow and succeed. We strongly believe diversity and inclusion drive innovation, making our people our greatest strength. 

The second key point is our scientific approach. Everything we do is built on a foundation of science. We are deeply dedicated to tackling unmet medical needs in areas like prostate cancer, women's health, and hematology. We're also expanding our focus to conditions like gastric cancer and ophthalmology. With a strong portfolio and science at the core of our work, we are confident that we can make a real difference. Another crucial focus for us is patient centricity, ensuring everything we do is guided by the needs of our patients. Over the past two and a half years, I've seen how much this organization prioritizes patients. We work closely with governments and key institutions in every market we serve to ensure patients can access the necessary medicines. Access to healthcare should not be a privilege for a select group—it should be available to everyone. This commitment drives us to support patients in challenging situations, particularly those facing unmet medical needs, by helping them find the best treatment options. 

EF: Building a team in Latin America for a highly specialized pharmaceutical company is challenging, so what is your pitch to attract the best and the brightest?  

SR: In the past two and a half years, we've welcomed over 100 talented individuals to our team, and we're incredibly proud of the amazing group we've built. Attracting and keeping the right talent starts with clear priorities. First, we make sure every new hire is a great fit with Astellas' culture. Creating an environment where our employees feel valued and happy is at the heart of what we do. It all begins with strong leadership. We focus on bringing exceptional leaders who attract equally talented team members. This approach has helped establish Astellas as a top employer in Latin America. We're now seeing people actively seeking to join us because of the exciting opportunities we offer and the reputation we've built as a great workplace. 

People are drawn to us not only because we're a growing company, with nearly 7-8 years in the region and 2.5 times the growth in sales since 2020, but also because of our leadership in all the therapeutic areas where we compete. More importantly, our global engagement survey shows an impressive 90% employee engagement across Latin America. When people ask how we make this happen, the answer is simple: we focus on being genuinely present in our employees' personal and professional lives. It is a shared responsibility across senior management, not just for the general manager to work on. We ensure our employees feel supported every step of the way by supporting them through challenges and celebrating achievements with them. While we can list many great initiatives and events, the essence of our approach is about genuine care. It's about showing up, helping our team, and acting consistently with our words. At Astellas, what we say is what we do. 

EF: Why is one dollar invested in Mexico and the Latin American region better than elsewhere? 

SR: The human connection is essential, personally and professionally, and we strive to keep it at the core of everything we do. We’re in a strong position in the LATAM region, driven by our ability to launch and introduce new products that benefit patients. While the area does face economic and political challenges, it also holds immense opportunities. One of LATAM’s greatest strengths is its people's resilience and ability to recover, adapt, and keep moving forward. Despite difficulties, this resilience drives success and enables us to achieve outstanding results. 

When discussing LATAM’s potential with senior leaders, the focus is clear: leveraging opportunities to bring in resources that address real patient needs. This commitment has led to significant support for our therapies in the region. We aim to put LATAM on the map internally and externally with stakeholders, showcasing its extraordinary opportunities. But what truly makes this region remarkable is its people. Their resilience and dedication support patients and the organization and foster innovation. This ability to thrive amid complexities is not just a strength in the pharmaceutical industry, it’s a defining trait of businesses throughout Latin America. 

EF: What does 2025 look like? What is at the top of your agenda? 

SR: We recognize that 2025 will bring its share of challenges, with varying complexities across our markets. Each market has its unique dynamics to navigate. Still, at Astellas, we remain optimistic and focused on the opportunities ahead not just in 2025 but for the future of Latin America. We are committed to continued investment in our therapies and our people. As part of our growth plans, we aim to expand our workforce across Latin America to support the introduction of new products that address critical healthcare needs in the region. While the coming year presents significant changes across geographies, we firmly believe that improving patient access to medicines should remain a shared priority for governments, the pharmaceutical industry, and all key stakeholders. To improve patient access, we’re actively looking for ways to build stronger partnerships with governments and organizations across the region. The key is to work together to ensure patients, and their families can access the necessary care. 

EF: What would be your final message to deliver to the healthcare sector, or what would you challenge the industry to talk more about? 

SR: Whenever I have the chance, I emphasize that healthcare should not be exclusive to any group. It is a basic need for everyone, regardless of location or therapeutic area. Beyond my role as Astellas LATAM head, it's crucial to work with communities, society, employees, and everyone worldwide to ensure equal patient treatment opportunities. This is my vision, and while I recognize the challenges, every small effort and quick win can lead to big improvements in patient outcomes. After all, we're all patients at some point, and it's important to remember that.