Meet BeiGene's Rafael Souza: Expanding Access to Innovative Medicines

Meet Rafael! Originally from Brazil and currently residing in Basel, Rafael has a diverse professional background as well as diverse DNA, with Portuguese, Italian, Spanish, Indigenous, and African ancestry.

After learning that noncommunicable diseases (including cardiovascular issues, cancer, and others) cause nearly 75% of all global deaths each year, Rafael was motivated to work with a company whose vision is to make medicines more affordable and accessible to far more people around the world. With more than 14 years of global experience in diagnostics and pharma, Rafael was drawn to BeiGene’s global presence and commitment to expanding access to innovative medicines.

“What first made an impact on me was BeiGene’s vision and mission, especially being originally from Brazil and how much that resonates with the reality I faced when interacting with customers,” he says. “This is a great opportunity to change the lives of so many people across the world.”

As Head of Access Solutions & Pricing for New Markets at BeiGene, Rafael focuses on bringing the company’s medicines to markets such as Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, and European countries outside the European Union, such as Belarus, Georgia, and Ukraine. While most are lower- and middle-income countries that have had limited or no access to innovative medicine, Rafael is eager to work with his teammates across BeiGene to change that.

“It is a cross-functional activity, working closely across BeiGene internal teams as well as with our business partners, while at the same time, identifying the main access needs and hurdles to co-create opportunities and sustainable solutions.”

That passion to ensure life-saving medicines reach all patients, despite geographic location, is what unites BeiGene colleagues.

“I recently met my whole team face-to-face at an offsite meeting, and I could see the great energy, interaction, collaborative spirit, and rich discussions focused on our patients.”

Learn more about BeiGene’s commitment to access and the company’s pledge to advance global health.