Executive Director: Greg Perry

Greg Perry joined the Medicines Patent Pool with over 20 years experience in pharmaceutical and intellectual property policy issues. Greg has an extensive track record of high-level advocacy with governments, international organisations, pharmaceutical stakeholders and NGOs and has a personal commitment to improving public health. Greg founded the European Generic Medicines Association in 1993 and was its Director General from 1999 until he joined the Pool. He is also a founding member of the International Generic Pharmaceutical Alliance and has been on its management committee since 1997. Prior to joining the generic industry, Greg advised corporate and non-governmental organisations on European Union legislation and policy.

Greg was awarded the Golden Cross of Merit of the Republic of Poland in 2004 for contribution to industry and European integration. He was granted an honorary life fellowship of the Organisation for Professionals in Regulatory Affairs (TOPRA) in 2005 for contributions to European pharmaceutical regulatory issues. Greg is also member of the Standing Advisory Committee before the European Patent Office.

Business Development Director: Sandeep Juneja

Sandeep Juneja is the Business Development Director for the Medicines Patent Pool. He brings to the Patent Pool understanding and experience of the pharmaceutical industry. During his 17 years in the industry, Sandeep handled diverse responsibilities spanning marketing, P&L management, strategy, investor relations, business development and M&A.

As Director-HIV at the drug major Ranbaxy, Sandeep conceptualised, launched and managed the company’s HIV business for over 6 years. During that time, he was also instrumental in establishing lasting collaborations with the R&D-based industry on HIV medicines. Sandeep has written several articles, and spoken at international conferences on various issues related to access to HIV medicines. He has also served on several committees and panels such as the Steering Committee on Universal Access, Global Fund Procurement Advisory Panel, Global Fund Market Dynamics Advisory Group, and others.

Sandeep also has experience in concluding and managing multiple value-accretive alliances and deals in the pharmaceutical industry. Sandeep has an MBA from IIFT, New Delhi and a Bachelors in Technology from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, India.

General Counsel: Chan Park

Chan Park is the General Counsel of the Medicines Patent Pool. Prior to joining the Medicines Patent Pool, Chan worked at UNITAID to help found the Pool.

Chan spent four years in Bangalore and Delhi, India, working on issues related to intellectual property and access to medicines. As the Senior Technical and Policy Adviser at the Lawyers Collective HIV/AIDS Unit in India, he worked on a range of issues surrounding the implementation and interpretation of India’s recently-introduced pharmaceutical product patent regime. Chan has also consulted for various international organisations, including the United Nations Development Programme, the World Health Organization, and UNITAID on a range of issues relating to intellectual property and access to medicines. His publications include studies on the application of the 2005 Indian Patents Act, public health impacts of patentability criteria, the policy implications of the definition of counterfeits, and the legal complexities around the definition of new chemical entities. Chan graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and the New York University School of Law, and practiced as an intellectual property litigator at the law firm of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich and Rosati in San Francisco.

Operations Manager: Robyn Harshaw

Robyn Harshaw is the Operations Manager of the Medicines Patent Pool. Prior to joining the Pool, Robyn was an executive in the Pharmaceuticals Strategy practice at Accenture, where she advised Top 10 and mid-size originator pharmaceutical companies on global R&D, marketing, sales and payer strategies and operations. Her work focused on the following disease areas: virology, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, psychiatry, pain and oncology. Robyn also has experience in the non-profit sector through the Accenture Development Partnerships. She holds a MS in biophysics and biochemistry from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.

Policy Advisor: Esteban Burrone

Esteban Burrone worked in various capacities for the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) between 2000 and 2010, prior to joining UNITAID to work on the establishment of the Medicines Patent Pool.  While at WIPO, he specialized on issues relating to the use of intellectual property (IP) rights by small businesses in developing countries and on integrating development considerations into IP policy-making. He was also responsible for preparing documents for the WIPO Committee on Development and Intellectual Property.

Esteban has authored a number of publications and policy papers on issues relating to IP in developing countries, and has undertaken work for the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR). He has an MSc in Development from the London School of Economics and an MBA from the International University in Geneva.

Communications Manager: Kaitlin Mara

Prior to joining the Patent Pool, Kaitlin Mara was the Associate Editor at Geneva-based journal Intellectual Property Watch, where she reported and edited on all aspects of IP policy, with a particular emphasis on public health, biodiversity, biotechnology, open source/open standards, and trade. She came to IP-Watch from a position with the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research in Vientiane, Lao PDR. She has an MSc in Environment and Development from the London School of Economics.

Finance and Resources Manager: José Imbernon

José Imbernon has held several positions in the humanitarian field between 1992 and 2003, including several management positions for Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in both headquarters and the field. Prior to joining the Medicines Patent Pool in January 2011, he worked for the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs as manager of Casa Africa, a consortium of public institutions including the Ministry that works to build relationships between Africa and Spain. He also consulted at the Ministry for the tsunami affected areas receiving Spanish aid.

Legal Officer: Maica Trabanco

Maica Trabanco is the Patent Pool’s Legal Officer. A native of Spain, Maica came to the Pool from one of Spain’s leading generic pharmaceutical manufacturers, where she advised the company on issues relating to intellectual property and contract law. She previously spent eight years as a practicing intellectual property attorney in Madrid and Barcelona.

Maica holds an LLM in EU law from the University of Amsterdam, and a degree in law from the University of Oviedo (Spain). She became a Spanish Industrial Property Agent in 2007, and has been a member of the Madrid Bar Association since 2001.

Business Development Manager: Aastha Gupta

Aastha comes to the Pool after over seven years of experience in the generic pharmaceutical industry in India and in South Africa. She was most recently the Business Development Manager for South & Southern Africa for Ranbaxy Ltd. Aastha has managed products from the idea stage through to product launch. She also has experience in out-licensing, business analysis and market research. Aastha holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade in New Delhi.

Advocacy Officer: Erika Dueñas

Erika Dueñas has 15 years of experience working in the field of access to medicines, innovation and intellectual property. As a career diplomat, she worked many years for the Bolivian government actively participating in negotiations related to intellectual property and health at the regional (Andean Community) and multilateral level (WTO, WHO, WIPO). After her diplomatic mission at the Embassy in Washington as the Chargé d’Affaires, she was Vice-Minister at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bolivia. Together with MSF and other NGOs, she founded the Platform of IP and Access to Medicines in Bolivia. She holds a Master’s Degree in International Law and Economics (LLM) from the World Trade Institute / Universities of Bern, Fribourg & Neuchatel – Bern, Switzerland.

Communications Officer: Richard Warren

Richard joined the Patent Pool in November 2012 after previously having worked in communications for the International Trade Centre, the UN Research Institute for Social Development and the UK government, amongst others. He has an MA in European Politics from Brunel University and a DEA in Political Science from the University of Geneva.

Finance & Administrative Officer: Esperanza Suarez

Esperanza Suárez has ten years of experience in finance, accountancy, tax advisory services and administration, both in private and public sector, as well as in not-for-profit organisations.

She has a degree in Economic Sciences from the University of Barcelona with a focus on Economic Policy and Sociology.

Executive Assistant: Shamsa Abdulrasak

Prior to joining the Medicines Patent Pool in November 2010, Shamsa Abdulrasak worked in various administrative positions in health program coordination and executive administrative support for international public and private organisations such as Terre Des Hommes International Federation, the Mentor Initiative in Chad, Frontiers Research Foundation, Vestergaard-Frandsen, and for pharmaceutical company Merck Serono. She has an MA in Political Science from the University of Lausanne.

Operations Intern: Elizabeth Plumb

Elizabeth Plumb is the Operations Intern at the Medicines Patent Pool. Elizabeth graduated with BA (hons) in Modern Languages (French and Spanish) and Political Sciences from the University of Bath in 2011. During her degree she spent a year abroad living and working in Argentina, and studied the unequal division of wealth, alongside development and health issues, in South American countries. Prior to joining the Pool, she took part in numerous voluntary projects in Australia, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

Pro Bono Legal Services

The Medicines Patent Pool recognises and appreciates the pro bono legal services provided by Dechert LLP, Rajeshwari & Associates, Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi, and Davis Polk & Wardwell.