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Ksenija Purković appointed new director of the AstraZeneca cluster

Ksenija Purković has been appointed as the new director of the AstraZeneca cluster covering nine countries: Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Montenegro, and the countries of the southwestern Balkans. Currently, the AstraZeneca cluster employs over 350 professionals, nearly 80 of whom are in Croatia.

Ksenija has extensive experience in the pharmaceutical industry, having joined AstraZeneca over 10 years ago as a marketing manager for Serbia and Montenegro. Prior to that, Ksenija gained experience in various commercial roles at Menarini Group and MSD in Serbia and Bulgaria.

At AstraZeneca, Ksenija quickly advanced to the position of head of the business unit for cardiovascular and metabolic diseases and oncology, thanks to her dedication and expertise, and was soon appointed as the director of AstraZeneca Serbia. In 2020, Ksenija became part of the regional Europe-Canada (EUCAN) team, where she served as the commercial director and was responsible for the successful introduction of several cardiovascular products in the EUCAN region markets.

– It is an honor and a pleasure for me to take on this position and be part of the story of exceptional people and the growth of the AstraZeneca cluster. Operating in nine markets in Southeast Europe, we have the opportunity to provide access to our innovative therapies for over 30 million people. With such a diverse multinational team of experts, dedicated to putting patients first and driving innovation, we will continue to support local health systems and communities while mitigating environmental impact. Together with our Croatian colleagues, we will further encourage collaboration with key stakeholders, experts, patient associations, and partners to ensure a sustainable future and better access to life-changing therapies – stated Ksenija Purković.

In this role, Ksenija replaces Dejan Lakovski, who has been appointed as the commercial head of the oncology business unit for the Central Eastern Europe and Baltic (CEE-BA) region at AstraZeneca.

AstraZeneca is a global, innovative biopharmaceutical company that discovers, develops, and sells innovative medicines for the treatment of diseases in five therapeutic areas: cardio-metabolic and renal diseases, respiratory diseases, vaccines and immunotherapy, and rare diseases. The company operates in over 100 countries and has been present in Croatia for more than 20 years. The cluster was formed in 2021 and includes Croatia, Bulgaria, Serbia, Slovenia, and Montenegro. In 2022, the group approved a project that allows the countries of the southwestern Balkans: Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Albania, and Kosovo to access the company’s innovative medicines through partners. Currently, the cluster generates over $190 million in annual sales, with the ambition to double this in the next three years and launch over 100 new medicines and indications.

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