John P. Kennedy

I am Vice President Business Unit Lead for US hematology and nephrology rare diseases at Alexion, AstraZeneca Rare Disease. I have the privilege of working with a passionate and talented team of colleagues focused on addressing the needs of patients suffering from often overlooked or misunderstood conditions - like paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) or atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS). I am motivated by the potential to help these patient communities - both through the medicines we bring to market today, and by the development programmes that continue to progress in these therapeutic areas.

I joined AstraZeneca by way of Alexion, which I joined in 2019. The opportunity to be part of a rare disease focused biotech business unit represents a capstone to experiences I’ve been fortunate to have across 25 years with biotech, pharmaceutical and medical device organisations, spanning a range of therapeutic areas and stages in product lifecycle.

I am currently responsible for strategy, operations, and financial performance of the business unit I lead. This business unit is comprised of a cross-functional team of colleagues dedicated to facilitating timely and accurate diagnosis as well as treatment of indicated diseases, through awareness and education. Prior to joining Alexion, AstraZeneca Rare Disease, I served in various general management (e.g., Business Unit Lead, Country Manager) and functional leadership roles (e.g., Marketing, Sales, Account Management). Before these commercial roles, I had been Director of Worldwide Regulatory Strategy with responsibility for pre- and post-approval programmes for various biopharmaceutical, device, and combination products.