Anna Richo, general counsel and executive vice president of biopharmaceutical company UCB, often uses a narrative style, telling the story of how an innovation can help patients live better with serious diseases, to protect her company’s intellectual property cases in a court of law. Brussels-based Anna Richo used this technique recently to defend a patent for Neupro, a patch that delivers the drug rotigotine to patients with Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson’s disease is a common neurological disorder caused by an interruption in normal dopamine balance in the brain. The brain loses nerve cells that produce dopamine, which causes symptoms including tremors and a loss of motor control. Levodopa or L-dopa is the most common drug prescribed for Parkinson’s, because it helps the brain produce dopamine. Over time, however, it can have side effects such as nausea and fatigue. Rotigotine is a dopamine agonist, which acts like dopamine in the brain but does not cause the same side effects. This class of drugs may have short-term side effects such as dizziness, confusion, or hallucinations, but these tend to resolve over time. There are other drugs and treatments that can help people improve their quality of life while they live with Parkinson’s disease, though researchers don’t yet have a cure or a certain preventative measure. People with Parkinson’s should discuss their options with their doctor to determine the best way to manage their condition.
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An attorney for 30 years, Anna Richo serves as executive vice president and general counsel for UCB Pharmaceuticals, which focuses on immune system disorders. Anna Richo’s professional affiliations have included the Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA). Since 1997, the MCCA has promoted the advance of minority lawyers in legal departments and law firms. Aiding this mission is the Lloyd M. Johnson Jr. scholarship program, available to students in the first year of law school. Since inaugurating the awards in 2004, the program has given nearly $3.5 million to almost 200 students (39 percent male, 61 percent female). The scholarships are intended for students interested in corporate law and diversity. The awards committee looks for academic achievers having an undergraduate GPA of 3.2 or higher and who are active in their community. Applicants must also demonstrate financial need, submit an essay, and pursue a juris doctor degree (Part-time, LLM, and dual-degree students are not eligible). Up to 10 scholarships of $10,000 each are awarded each year. Funds cover tuition, books, supplies, fees, and course-required equipment. Students may transfer the scholarship from school to school. Attorney Anna Richo serves as executive vice president and general counsel for Brussels-based pharmaceutical firm UCB. In her role, Anna Richo protects the intellectual property of the firm as it develops products to help people with serious diseases, including restless legs syndrome (RLS). RLS, or Willis-Ekbom disease, is a neurological disorder that causes uncomfortable sensations down the legs described by patients as creeping or throbbing, along with an almost uncontrollable urge to move in order to make the sensations stop. Many people suffer more restlessness at night, which can interfere with healthy, uninterrupted sleep. No one knows the exact cause of the disorder, but it seems to be connected with the way the neurotransmitter dopamine moves through a patient’s system. Genes also may play a role, and for some people, iron deficiency may be a cause. RLS is chronic and probably a lifelong disorder. It affects about 10 percent of the American adult population, with women twice as likely as men to be impacted. For some people, lifestyle interventions such as increasing iron consumption and adding regular exercise can help. Patients with more severe RLS symptoms tend to improve with dopamine agonists, opioids, anticonvulsant drugs, or hypnotic drugs. An accomplished attorney with a wealth of experience in corporate oversight and compliance matters, Anna Richo has served as an executive vice president and general counsel for UCB since 2012. Recognized by the news site FiercePharma as one of the “Top 15 Women in Pharma,” Anna Richo has been a member of multiple groups that promote the accomplishments of women and minorities in the business sector. One of these groups was the Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA). Lauded by organizations ranging from the Association of Corporate Counsel and the National LGBT Bar Association, the MCCA is a preeminent voice on matters of diversity within the legal profession. The MCCA’s chief executive, Jean Lee, recently commented on a decision by Facebook to demand more diversity in its outside legal counsel. Facebook announced the policy in late 2016. Its key provision stipulates that at least 33 percent of all law personnel working on Facebook’s behalf must be women and/or ethnic minorities. Jean Lee pointed out that the former lack of diversity on Facebook’s legal team is far from unusual, calling law the least diverse white-collar profession. For more than two decades, Anna Richo has specialized in corporate litigation. She brings that experience to her current role as general counsel and executive vice president of UCB, a leading biopharmaceutical firm in Belgium. Anna Richo is a licensed attorney in California. Anna Richo is a member of the State Bar of California. The State Bar of California recently rolled out a new website, www.calbar.ca.gov, to serve as a better resource for attorneys, prospective members, and the general public. The main emphasis of the website is on information, with content about how to file complaints against attorneys and how to spot fake lawyers attempting to defraud the public. For current State Bar of California members, the website provides information on ethics guidelines, continuing education requirements, and people in need of pro bono services. The website is available in multiple languages, including Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean. FiercePharma has acknowledged Anna Richo as one of the Top 15 Women in Pharma. With nearly three decades of experience as a lawyer, Anna Richo supports Brussels-based biopharmaceutical firm UCB S.A. as executive vice president and general counsel. She is also affiliated with the Women Business Leaders of the US Healthcare Industry Foundation (WBL). WBL’s mission is to connect female executives working within the healthcare industry both to support their leadership and to improve the industry as a whole. One of the ways WBL accomplishes this is through the annual WBL Summit where female health care leaders meet to network and share information. The summit limits attendance to 180 women to ensure an intimate environment for business relationship building. Over the course of three days, the women join in peer groups to discuss the challenges facing their business, discern possible solutions, and deep dive into emerging best practices. The event also showcases speakers on executive skill building. The March 2017 summit took place in Las Vegas, Nevada. Speakers guided discussions on the theme of “Value by Design.” The 2018 summit is booked for Denver, Colorado. An attorney and an executive in the pharmaceutical industry, Anna Richo serves as executive vice president and general counsel of UCB in Brussels, Belgium. Anna Richo came to this role with a wealth of experience, having previously held leadership roles at Baxter and Amgen. Anna Richo holds a juris doctor from DePaul University College of Law. US News & World Report ranked DePaul’s health Law program 15th in the United States. The school offers not only a health law curriculum, but also a certificate in health law, a master of laws in health care law, and a master of jurisprudence in health care compliance or health law. Students receive mentoring from health law practitioners. They also have the opportunity to work in paid summer positions at prominent firms and health organizations in Chicago through the Jaharis Summer Scholars program. DePaul’s health law faculty are actively engaged in writing on a diverse array of health-related topics, including the licensing of pharmaceuticals, incentive pay, disability discrimination, price transparency, and intellectual property. Further, thanks to an endowment of $5 million from the Jaharis Family Foundation, the Mary and Michael Jaharis Health Law Institute has added a faculty fellow to lecture and write on topics related to intellectual property and health law. An attorney with almost three decades of experience in a wide range of legal fields, Anna Richo was named one of FiercePharma’s 2009 Top 15 Women in Pharma. Since 2012, Anna Richo has served as executive vice president and general counsel for UCB. UCB is a Belgium-based biopharmaceutical company that focuses primarily on the development of products for immunology and neurology disorders. The company has two research centers and two biotech plants in Europe, with a total research and development team of more than 1,000 individuals. UCB offers funding to outside individuals and organizations around the world who are working to raise awareness for, and expand research and improve understanding of severe diseases. UCB grants provide support to programs undertaking research into diseases such as epilepsy, Crohn’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease. While serving as Senior vice president and chief compliance officer of Amgen Inc., Anna Richo was responsible for the global pharmaceutical company’s compliance and business ethics programs. Anna Richo reported on environmental sustainability efforts for Amgen. An international biotechnology leader, Amgen continues to remain focused on using resources wisely and operating in an environmentally responsible manner. Amgen is committed to improved efficiency in research, in development of medicines, and in processes of manufacturing. Known for its innovative building policies, Amgen plans, constructs, and operates its facilities with a conservation mindset. Amgen sites around the world are evidence of this environmentally responsible construction. In Singapore, a state-of-the-art biomanufacturing plant has been built that will drastically reduce water use, solid waste output, and carbon emissions. Amgen’s considerable water conservation efforts in California and Puerto Rico have been stepped up even more in response to drought. Over the past several years, Amgen has increased energy conservation practices, which has largely reduced carbon emissions in the company. Amgen also lists renewable and alternative energy as a part of its long-term plans. This biology-focused company has a deep appreciation for natural resources and is continually looking for new ways to limit its impact on the environment. An experienced biopharmaceutical professional, Anna Richo oversees legal affairs, intellectual property, and compliance in her role as executive Vice President and general counsel of UCB in Brussels, Belgium. Earlier in her career, Anna Richo served as senior vice president and chief compliance officer of Amgen, Inc. In early June 2016, Amgen announced the results of its most recent Phase 2 clinical study that tested the effectiveness of an innovative new pharmaceutical. Called erenumab (or AMG 334), this drug focuses on the body’s Calcitonin-Gene-Related-Peptide (CGRP) receptor and prevents it from sending migraine pain signals to the brain. Amgen tested erenumab over the course of 12 weeks, analyzing 667 participants who were afflicted with up to 18 migraines each month. At the beginning of the clinical trial, the trial aimed to decrease the number of days on which patients experienced migraines, particularly within the last month of testing. To best determine erenumab’s effects, Amgen designed a study that randomized the participants, subcutaneously administering a placebo to some of them while others received one of two dose strengths of erenumab. The results were promising, as those who received doses of erenumab saw a migraine reduction of 6.6 days per month. Patients who received the placebo only experienced a 4.2-day-per-month decline. On the back of these results, Amgen will soon pursue Phase 3 studies and present erenumab to the medical community at an upcoming conference. |
AuthorAs of November 1, 2012, Anna Richo became Executive Vice President and General Counsel of UCB, a biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Brussels, Belgium. Archives
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