AstraZeneca hires Rick Suarez to lead its biopharma efforts in the US

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Rick Suarez has been selected by AstraZeneca’s US BioPharmaceuticals Business Unit to be its new Senior Vice President, US President with immediate effect.

The 20-year company veteran will lead the firm’s $50 billion investment in its US manufacturing and R&D activities. This includes AstraZeneca’s new $4.5 billion facility in Virginia, the company’s largest single manufacturing investment. Additionally, this includes $2 billion into its manufacturing capabilities in Maryland, expanding its flagship biologics plant in Frederick.

Suarez said: “We are operating at a moment of unprecedented scientific opportunity. Our responsibility is to translate that science into results for patients and for the US healthcare system. By strengthening our US manufacturing and R&D footprint, we will expand access to innovative medicines, create highly skilled jobs, and deliver long-term value.”

He previously served as Country President for Spain since 2020, one of AstraZeneca’s strongest performing European markets, and will be 

now based at AstraZeneca’s US headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware, US.

Suarez’s work in Spain involved expansion of the country’s global clinical development role and establishment of a new global hub in Barcelona. His work towards the launch of AstraZeneca Healthcare Innovation Hub involved $10 million’s worth of digital health and data-driven initiatives focused on translational innovation.

He first joined AstraZeneca in 1999 as a pharmaceutical sales specialist and has broad experience across various functions including marketing, medical affairs and market access.

AstraZeneca’s other recent US win involved approval of its joint development of Enhertu with Daiichi Sankyo, making it the first new first-line treatment in ten years for HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer.

The past 12 months have also seen the company expand its presence elsewhere in North America and last year AstraZeneca announced plans to commit $570 million to its Canadian operations. The move support a broader company pledge to grow its R&D efforts as well as adding to the C$1.3 billion it invested in Canada between 2023 and January 2025.