Victoria Wangsadirja, a 24-year-old global marketing specialist at Korean drugmaker Daewoong Pharmaceutical, thrives on formality and structure. Although following tight ethical drug (ETC) guidelines can be challenging in achieving marketing goals, Wangsadirja finds comfort in the rules, believing that they “actually make it easier.”

Yet, her commitment to structure doesn’t box her in. She’s from Indonesia, a country so diverse that survival demands an instinct for adaptation. “Success often depends on understanding and adapting to these cultural subtleties,” she said in an interview with Korea Biomedical Review last Wednesday.

Her curiosity was sparked at a young age when she watched her grandfather undergo colon cancer. “I was deeply curious about how such a small chemical entity could have such a profound effect on the human body."

In high school, Wangsadirja had been the quiet, studious type, content with her small circle of friends and a preference for playing it safe. Venturing into the unknown was never her style.

But college brought a transformation. Surrounded by the success stories of her peers at one of Indonesia’s top pharmacy programs, Wangsadirja found herself inspired to break out of her comfort zone. “Looking at their achievements motivated me to try new things,” she said.

The turning point came with Daewoong’s scholarship opportunity—her first encounter with the company known for its significant collaborations with Universitas Indonesia (UI), including a biotech research center established by the company.

When Daewoong hosted a health science competition at UI, Wangsadirja, a pharmacy major, saw an opportunity. Competing against 500 participants, she won first place, earning a $1,000 prize and a scholarship.

“I didn’t think I would win,” she said. “But it felt really rewarding and made me want to take more action.”

She decided to move to Seoul, where she joined Daewoong. “I was impressed by how much Korea achieved in such a short time,” Wangsadirja said. “It was the fastest rate I’ve ever seen in any country.”

“Korea has one of the best pharmaceutical industries in the world, and Daewoong is a major player advancing globally,” she said. “Why not work in two of the best places?”

When Wangsadirja first joined Daewoong in 2022, she started in the early marketing team for Nabota, a botulinum toxin product that was Daewoong’s sole global offering at the time. As a newcomer to corporate Korea, she said she still felt "blind" and was learning the ropes of a complex environment.

In her current role, she steers the global marketing strategy for Fexuclue (ingredient: fexuprazan), Daewoong's homegrown gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) treatment,  focusing on expanding the product’s reach into international markets.

One of the biggest challenges, she said, has been navigating diverse regulatory environments and market dynamics in each country, where sales culture, relationships with doctors, and product perceptions vary significantly. "It requires a deep understanding of each country's unique nuances."

Part of her responsibility involves message validation—ensuring the brand’s key messages resonate with customers across different cultures. “I had to brainstorm a lot of ideas, and felt a lot of pressure,” Wangsadirja reflected on the intense demands of her job. “At times, I felt like I couldn’t contribute enough.”

Fexuprazan now has six value propositions, but during its early stages of global marketing, Wangsadirja needed to tailor these messages for each specific country. She worked on campaigns in the Philippines, Chile, Ecuador, and Mexico, with the Philippines being the most memorable because it was her first assignment.

To ensure the messages resonated, the team conducted focus group discussions with key opinion leaders (KOLs) and doctors, who posed challenging questions. “I had to study a lot about the product,” Wangsadirja said. “Conducting these meetings was challenging because we needed to convince the doctors to verify our messages.” In the Philippines, where Daewoong’s partner held full marketing rights, there were additional concerns and reluctance.

Moreover, with ETC typically having a limited marketing lifecycle compared to fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), Wangsadirja had to “make the most of the available time and momentum.” This required constant learning and a proactive approach to staying updated in the industry.

Despite this, Wangsadirja has made a name for herself by mastering the product details and addressing tough questions. “The only way to overcome the age barrier is to be thoroughly prepared and proactive in my learning,” she said. “As a marketer, you can’t be afraid to speak up.” Her efforts were rewarded when her team’s presentations won over partners and led to the selection of a new slogan for Fexuclue. 

Wangsadirja sees a clear trend in the global pharmaceutical market towards potassium-competitive acid blockers (P-CABs), particularly for GERD treatment. “These drugs are increasingly favored for their quicker onset and longer-lasting effects compared to traditional proton pump inhibitors (PPIs),” she said.

“Experts are already predicting that these will become the new standard of care,” said Wangsadirja, who envisions fexuprazan to “take over the anti-acid drug market.”

As the GERD industry is evolving, Wangsadirja said Daewoong is evolving with it. “Daewoong’s commitment to innovation and rapid progress truly sets it apart on the global stage,” she said. 

Within just three years of Fexuclue’s launch, Daewoong licensed out the drug to 19 countries, completed regulatory submissions in 17, and won approval in five – an “impressive pace that outstrips our competitors,” Wangsadirja said.