Astellas Korea, the Korean affiliate of global life sciences company Astellas Pharma, said it has named former Daiichi Sankyo executive Baek So-young as its new head of market access.

In this role, Baek will lead reimbursement strategies and execution for Astellas Korea’s portfolio of innovative medicines, including antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), targeted cancer therapies, and upcoming pipeline products.

Baek brings more than 18 years of experience in market access and marketing across leading multinational pharmaceutical companies, including Daiichi Sankyo Korea, Sanofi Korea, and MSD Korea.

Baek previously served as Head of Market Access for the oncology division at Daiichi Sankyo Korea, where she led the successful reimbursement strategy for Enhertu, a treatment for breast and gastric cancers. Her leadership played a pivotal role in securing reimbursement for Enhertu within just 15 months of launch, in close coordination with Korean health authorities.

For her achievements, Baek was selected as one of the top three global employees in the "Development and Growth" category of Daiichi Sankyo’s Core Behavior Award, recognizing her contribution to both organizational growth and strategic execution.

She also held key roles at MSD Korea, where she was deeply involved in securing reimbursement for the immunotherapy Keytruda, and at Sanofi Korea, gaining extensive experience in therapeutic areas such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, immunology, respiratory conditions, and urology.

Her business experience spans the full product lifecycle from launch to patent expiry, earning her recognition as a seasoned marketing and access expert.

“True value in drug development is only realized when a medicine reaches the patients who need it,” Astellas Korea CEO Kim Jun-il said. “We believe Baek So-young will play a crucial role in strengthening access to our innovative cancer therapies and expanding patient access to new medicines in Korea.”