Former Alexion head Sharon Barr takes up new EVP role at AstraZeneca

UNITED KINGDOM – AstraZeneca has tapped Sharon Barr as the new Executive Vice President of Biopharmaceuticals Research and Development (R&D) at the Anglo-Swedish pharmaceutical company.

Sharon Barr has replaced Mene Pangalos, who is retiring from his role after working at AstraZeneca for close to fourteen years.

Sharon will report directly to the Chief Executive Officer of AstraZeneca, Pascal Soriot, who is part of the company’s Board of Directors.

As of 1st August 2023, Sharon is now a member of AstraZeneca’s Senior Executive Team (SET) and the incoming Executive Vice President of BioPharmaceuticals R&D operations at the company.

Expressing her excitement about the elevation, Sharon Barr, EVP of Biopharmaceuticals R&D at AstraZeneca, said: “I am honored to carry forward the work of this world-class BioPharmaceuticals R&D team as it advances an ambition to transform care for people living with chronic diseases.”

She verbalized her willingness to work closely with AstraZeneca’s Biopharmaceuticals R&D team as the company explores new opportunities to expand its product portfolio and deliver life-changing medicines for patients worldwide.

AstraZeneca is a global, science-led biopharmaceutical company that focuses on the discovery, development, and commercialization of prescription medicines in oncology, rare diseases, and biopharmaceuticals.

Based in Cambridge, in the United Kingdom, AstraZeneca operates in over 100 countries and its innovative medicines are used by millions of patients worldwide.

In her new role, Sharon is responsible for discovery through to late-stage development across cardiovascular, renal & metabolism, and respiratory & immunology segments of AstraZeneca.

She has extensive industry experience in translational research, precision medicine, and global development sectors spanning over 18 years.

Speaking on Alexion and AstraZeneca’s combined capabilities, Sharon stated: “We are at an exciting moment as remarkable science and collaboration across our organization drive forward opportunities to translate early discovery into meaningful medicines that can slow or even stop disease progression, improve prevention, and potentially cure disease.”

Before her new stint, Sharon held senior leadership roles at Alexion Pharmaceuticals, a subsidiary of AstraZeneca.

She has held the position of Senior Vice President & Head of Research & Product Development at Alexion for 18 years.

Her most recent stint involved overseeing the process of drug discovery, process development, and clinical supply under the Research and Product Development branch of Alexion.

She played a significant role in the development of Alexion’s clinical biomarkers and bioanalytical discovery, alongside its rare disease diagnostics and bioinformatics.

Additionally, Sharon has a proven track record in supporting Alexion’s industry-leading rare disease pipeline from target discovery through post-marketing.

Sharon is expected to leverage her industry experience in the biopharmaceutical sector and her leadership style and passion for developing people to take AstraZeneca to new heights.

Commenting on Sharon’s appointment, AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot, CEO, said: “She brings outstanding experience essential to the advancement of our leading biopharmaceuticals pipeline and a track record of driving productivity, innovation, and delivery of medicines for patients.”

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