When Dario Eklund joined Santhera Pharmaceuticals as CEO in December 2019, he could not have prepared for what his first year would bring. Amid a pandemic, he has had to deal with an unexpected Phase III failure of the firm’s lead product, while trying to make his mark upon the firm. “I have learned a lot in this past year, perhaps more than from several years in other roles.”
Resetting After Your Lead Drug Fails
Santhera CEO On Transparency In The Face Of Adversity
Becoming a first-time CEO of a biotech company in 2020 meant dealing with unexpected challenges without any instruction book to follow. Santhera Pharmaceuticals’ Dario Eklund not only had COVID-19 upheaval to manage, but also a late-stage trial failure, a virtual financing and a new plan for the company to sell to stakeholders.
