About the Role
Uniphar Group is seeking a Regional Access & Launch Manager to join its organization, serving as a commercialization and distribution partner for biotech companies entering MENA markets. This role focuses on rare diseases and advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs), including cell and gene therapies (CGTs). The position involves acting as an extension of partner commercial organizations, delivering market access, launch, and patient access capabilities across the GCC and broader MENA region. This is a cross-functional leadership position requiring independent judgment and a focus on building impactful solutions.
The role acts as a bridge between biotech partners and the regional healthcare environments. Responsibilities include driving market access strategy, leading product launches, engaging with payers and regulators, and supporting business development through due diligence. The focus is on the GCC region, with opportunities for candidates based in Saudi Arabia, UAE, or Kuwait.
Key Responsibilities
- Develop and execute market access strategies for rare disease and ATMP portfolios across Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, and GCC markets.
- Lead payer engagement with key bodies such as SFDA/NHIC, DHA, HAAD, MOH Kuwait, and HTA committees, adapting value frameworks to local evidence requirements.
- Build health economic and outcomes research (HEOR) arguments and dossiers to support reimbursement and funding decisions, including models for outcomes-based and managed entry agreements.
- Navigate the access landscape for high-cost therapies, one-time treatments, and CGTs, developing budget impact models, registries, and patient support program designs.
- Monitor evolving reimbursement policies, HTA developments, and national rare disease frameworks to adapt access strategies.
- Lead integrated launch planning and execution for new rare disease and ATMP assets, coordinating cross-functional workstreams including regulatory, medical, supply, and patient access.
- Establish launch readiness frameworks, KPIs, and go-to-market timelines in alignment with biotech partners.
- Drive commercial performance through forecasting, account management, and engagement with treating centers, multidisciplinary teams, and patient advocacy groups.
- Drive innovative solutions for optimal market access strategies for ATMP assets, particularly in complex reimbursement pathways.
- Ensure compliant, patient-centric access pathways are in place prior to and following commercial launch, including named patient, compassionate use, and early access programs.
- Manage and strengthen Uniphar’s network of local distributors and 3rd party vendors across GCC markets, and drive expansion into additional MENA countries.
- Identify, evaluate, and prioritize new asset and partnership opportunities within the rare disease and ATMP space for the MENA region.
- Conduct opportunity assessments and due diligence reviews, including market sizing, patient population mapping, competitive landscape analysis, pricing benchmarking, and revenue modeling.
- Develop and present investment cases to senior leadership for partnership decision-making and resource allocation.
- Build and maintain a network of biotech and pharma partners, advisors, and ecosystem stakeholders to support deal sourcing and pipeline development.
- Support regulatory submission strategies and liaison with local regulatory authorities as part of launch readiness.
- Oversee patient support program design, special access pathways, and supply chain considerations for rare disease products.
- Ensure compliance with all local legal, promotional, and pharmacovigilance requirements.
Qualifications and Requirements
- Over 10 years of pharmaceutical or biotech industry experience, with a strong grounding across at least two of the following disciplines: market access, and commercial/launch management.
- Demonstrated experience in rare disease and/or ATMP / CGT commercialization, including familiarity with the patient journey, small patient populations, and their unique access complexities.
- Hands-on experience in the GCC or broader MENA region, with working knowledge of key payer, regulatory, and HTA stakeholders across Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Kuwait.
- Proven track record of leading or materially contributing to successful product launches in the region.
- Experience with business development or asset evaluation, including conducting independent opportunity assessments and communicating findings to senior stakeholders.
- Ability to operate effectively across medical, access, and commercial functions, navigating ambiguity and prioritizing across competing demands.
Required Skills
- Strategic thinking and commercial agility
- Cross-functional leadership
- Stakeholder engagement and influence
- Analytical rigor and data-driven decision-making
- Patient-centricity and rare disease advocacy
- Resilience and entrepreneurial drive
- Relationship-building across cultures
- Execution excellence and accountability
- Market Access Strategy
- Product Launch
- Payer Engagement
- Regulator Engagement
- Business Development
- Due Diligence
- Rare Disease
- Advanced Therapies
- ATMPs
- Cell and Gene Therapies (CGTs)
- Health Economic and Outcomes Research (HEOR)
- Reimbursement Strategy
- Forecasting
- Account Management
- Patient Advocacy Groups Engagement
- Regulatory Submission Strategy
- Supply Chain Management
- Pharmacovigilance
Work Environment and Location
This is a full-time role. The position is remote and GCC-focused, with opportunities for candidates based in Saudi Arabia, UAE, or Kuwait. Regular regional and international travel is expected.
Preferred qualifications include an advanced degree in life sciences, pharmacy, or medicine (MD, PharmD, PhD or equivalent); an MBA or business qualification is a plus. Experience working with or within a specialty distributor, regional commercial partner, or similar partnership-driven commercial model is beneficial. Existing relationships with rare disease KOLs, patient advocacy organizations, or payer stakeholders in the GCC are advantageous. Familiarity with health economic modeling tools and reimbursement dossier development for high-cost therapies is also preferred. Proficiency in Arabic is desirable; strong written and spoken English is essential.
Role Impact and Opportunity
This role offers the opportunity to shape the rare disease and advanced therapy access landscape across dynamic healthcare markets. You will work closely with senior management to build out Uniphar’s global access offering for clients. This is a high-autonomy role where decisions directly influence patient access outcomes and business results. You will collaborate with biotech partners at the forefront of innovation in rare and ultra-rare diseases. The work environment is remote and flexible. A competitive compensation package, including performance-based incentives, is offered commensurate with the seniority and scope of the role.
