HELSINN HEALTHCARE
MULTIGENERATIONAL FAMILY LEADERSHIP CONTINUE TO DRIVE HELSINN HEALTHCARE FORWARD.
THE NEXT FIFTY
PROJECT MANAGED BY: JACK
BIBBY
Celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2026, Helsinn Healthcare stands as a testament to resilience, adaptability and long-term thinking. What began as a family venture founded by the Braglia family in Ticino, Switzerland, has evolved into a global pharmaceutical business with products available in around 90 countries through an extensive network of partners.
Healthcare.
The 50-year celebrations have arrived at a significant moment for Helsinn. After navigating a challenging period of restructuring and renewal, the company has emerged stronger and is preparing for its next phase of growth.
FAMILY VALUES
At the heart of the business remains a commitment to family values.
“What differentiates us from other companies is that we are a science-based, heart-driven family business,” begins CEO Riccardo Braglia. “I represent the third generation and Gabriele represents the fourth.”
The pharmaceutical roots of the Braglia family stretch back more than 80 years. Helsinn itself was established in Switzerland in 1976 by Riccardo’s father, creating the foundations for a business that would grow far beyond its original ambitions.
Today, multiple members of the family remain involved across various enterprises, but the guiding principles have remained remarkably consistent. Those values have shaped not only the company’s culture but also its strategic direction. Unlike many pharmaceutical giants built around vast portfolios and blockbuster products, Helsinn has traditionally taken a more focused approach.
Riccardo Braglia, CEO, Helsinn
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Together, Helsinn and Elmec Suisse are committed to fostering a collaborative environment where technology and expertise work hand in hand to support the ever-evolving demands of the pharmaceutical industry.
“We’re not a big pharma company,” explains Chief Business Officer and Deputy CEO Gabriele Braglia. “We have consistently taken a strategic approach to licensing molecules across both early and later stages, maintaining the flexibility to adapt our development focus as programs evolve and therapeutic insights emerge.”
This flexibility has enabled the business to evolve repeatedly over five decades. Helsinn’s journey has taken it from antiinflammatory treatments and cardiovascular therapies into haematology, oncology and cancer supportive care.
Today, the company is best known for helping patients manage some of the most difficult side effects associated with cancer treatment. Its products have established Helsinn as a respected player within oncology supportive care, while ongoing development work continues to expand the reach and effectiveness of its portfolio.
Recent efforts have focused heavily on lifecycle management.
“We are leveraging our portfolio to identify new formulations and explore additional indications that could then be more beneficial for patients,” Gabriele points out.
One example is the recent European approval of an oral liquid version of one of Helsinn’s chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting treatments.
Gabriele Braglia, Chief Business Officer and Deputy CEO, Helsinn Healthcare.
Designed to support patients who struggle to swallow tablets, the new formulation demonstrates the company’s emphasis on practical improvements that directly enhance patient care.
INNOVATION & RESILIENCE
Innovation remains central to Helsinn’s identity, but so too does resilience.
Few businesses reach their 50th anniversary without facing setbacks. Helsinn has encountered regulatory challenges, generic competition, financial pressures and changing market dynamics throughout its history.
For Riccardo, overcoming adversity has become part of the company’s DNA.
“I think one of the things common to all generations of Helsinn has been resilience,” he says. “The truth is, we never give up.”
That determination has been tested significantly in recent years. A planned growth strategy coincided with a series of external and internal pressures.
Geopolitical instability, market challenges and organisational restructuring created what Riccardo describes as a “perfect storm”. During the same period, he himself faced a serious health battle before making a full recovery.
Despite those obstacles, leadership remained focused on rebuilding the business.
“Throughout the last 50 years, we have faced difficulties in different situations,” Riccardo reveals. “Nevertheless, the concept embedded within this family is staying strong and finding new solutions.”
The ability to adapt has repeatedly enabled Helsinn to emerge stronger. Over the
decades, the company has altered its business model, entered new therapeutic areas and expanded into new markets whenever circumstances demanded change.
“We didn’t have the US, we didn’t have China, and 25 years ago had not yet built the strong partnerships we later established in markets like Japan,” Riccardo reflects. “Now we are much more diversified in different countries with different partners.”
PRESENCE IN THE USA
One of the most significant strategic decisions for the business arrived around a decade ago when Helsinn established its own commercial presence in the United States, fulfilling Riccardo’s vision and one of his dreams.
Historically, the company had focused on developing products and partnering with other
organisations to commercialise them globally. While that model remains central to the business outside the US, direct commercial operations have provided greater control and new opportunities within the world’s largest pharmaceutical market.
Alongside its international footprint, Helsinn continues to benefit from a reputation built over decades.
“We distribute our products all around the world, and we have very good relationships with our distributors covering more
than one hundred countries,” Riccardo declares. “They trust us and believe in us.”
Those relationships provide a valuable platform as the company looks towards the future.
Industry conditions remain challenging. Ongoing geopolitical tensions, supply chain pressures and consolidation among larger pharmaceutical companies continue to reshape the sector. Yet Helsinn sees opportunity in remaining agile.
“The bigger companies will become bigger,” says Gabriele. “But we play in a different space.
“We have the advantage of being smaller, which allows us to be more flexible, move faster and make more deliberate, highly selective decisions.”
NEXT CHAPTER
Helsinn’s ability to move quickly is expected to play an important role in the company’s next chapter.
Following the recent restructuring, Helsinn is once again looking outward. Leadership has already strengthened its development capabilities, including the creation of a new Medical Science & Innovation group, with the intention of identifying and developing the next generation of assets.
For Gabriele, the current position is both exciting and full of possibility.
“We have a blank piece of paper in front of us, and we can now decide what to draw,” he says. “It’s exhilarating and full of possibility.”
The company’s ambition though is clear. Helsinn wants to continue innovating while addressing unmet patient needs that may be overlooked by larger competitors.
“We want to keep improving the lives of patients,” Gabriele affirms. “We want to find niches where we can have the most impact.”
As Helsinn marks its 50th anniversary, there is a clear sense that the company is entering a new era rather than celebrating a conclusion. The family legacy remains strong, the commitment to patients remains unchanged, and the organisation’s ambition remains undiminished.
“We want to be here for the long run,” Gabriele concludes. “We are celebrating 50 years today, and we intend to be here for our 100th anniversary - our 150th!”
