Günter Harms

Dr. Günter Harms is a seasoned pharmaceutical executive with over 25 years of crossfunctional, strategic and operational leadership experience in global, regional and national markets. His expertise includes value and access, pricing, reimbursement, and public affairs. He has played a pivotal role in the development, launch and lifecycle management of pharmaceuticals, particularly in the areas of orphan drugs and pioneering work on access to gene therapies.

Günter has held senior leadership positions at Novartis Gene Therapies (formerly AveXis), Novartis global headquarters in Switzerland and its country organisations in Germany and the USA. His experience also includes management positions at Shire, Ferring and the former Institute for Health Systems Research (IGSF), a WHO collaborating centre for public health research and policy consultancy. His broad background and healthcare systems knowledge have enabled him to create and implement innovative strategies, ensuring patient access to transformative treatments while achieving sustainable business success.

Passionate about healthcare innovation, he has contributed to international, European, and national healthcare policy discussions through involvement in key industry associations and alliances. His engagement in multi-stakeholder initiatives e.g. included contributing to the development of the German National Strategy for Gene- and Cell-based Therapies and supporting the National Action League for People with Rare Diseases, which helped shape Germany’s National Rare Disease Plan. He was also engaged in education as a lecturer in the Management in Healthcare degree program at the Baden-Württemberg Cooperative State University.

Günter holds a Ph.D. in pharmacy and is a licensed pharmacist. He has completed comprehensive executive education, including a Master’s Certificate in Project Management from George Washington University, along with management trainings at Harvard Business School and London Business School.