10/6/2026

Big Pharma to Biotech CEO, Building in an Overlooked Space, and Why Good Science Isn't Enough

"Science is not everything. If you ask patients why they choose a certain drug, it could be other things: price, rebate, the color of the tablet, a friend is using it, my doctor is not prescribing it, the package, the side effects. Those are equally important in the choice that the patient are doing."

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In this episode, I talked with Ann-Charlotte Rosendahl, CEO of Sobrera Pharma, a clinical-stage Swedish biotech developing a novel combination treatment for alcohol use disorder. Ann-Charlotte brings close to 20 years in the pharmaceutical industry, including nearly 16 years at AstraZeneca where she ran the global Nexium brand, led the launch in Japan, and eventually became what she calls the "CEO of the molecule," running major cardiovascular brands with full P&L responsibility. From there she moved to Roche leading global launch excellence, then into the investor world with GU Ventures, before stepping into the CEO seat at Sobrera.

In this conversation, we discussed everything from how you learn to lead in Big Pharma to what you have to unlearn when building something from scratch. We talked about the realities of restructuring, what it actually means to be a commercially-minded CEO in a science-led company, and why science without commercial understanding rarely lands where it should. We also get into early warning signs of a launch going wrong, how she's approached hiring differently at Sobrera versus Big Pharma, and her honest take on when recruiters are worth it and when they're not.

Outside of work, Ann-Charlotte enjoys the Swedish summer — beaches, island hopping, and catching up with friends and family. She was also heading to BIO in San Francisco for the third time, a conference she knows gets easier every year.

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Here's What You're In For

How a sales rep role at Merck became the start of a 20-year career in pharma
What Big Pharma teaches you, and what it conditions you to do that you need to stop in biotech
Why major restructurings can cost a company nearly a full year of real progress
What Sobrera Pharma is developing and why alcohol use disorder is more underserved than most people realise
The dopamine science behind tackling alcohol cravings
What Ann-Charlotte looked for before joining Sobrera: data, founders, and alignment
The early warning signs a drug launch is heading in the wrong direction
Why "share of voice" is the most overrated KPI in commercial strategy
How Ann-Charlotte approaches hiring in a small biotech, and what she keeps in-house versus outsources
What a first-time scientist-turned-CEO needs to understand about commercial from day one

Timestamps

03:16 – How she got her first job in pharma, a sales rep ad at Merck
04:29 – What Big Pharma teaches you and what you need to unlearn in biotech
06:09 – Career low point: navigating major restructurings at Big Pharma
07:57 – What Sobrera Pharma does and the alcohol use disorder space
10:33 – The science: targeting dopamine to reduce alcohol cravings
11:40 – Why Ann-Charlotte joined Sobrera: disease need, data, and founder alignment
13:12 – What the next 12–18 months look like: Phase 2, regulatory talks, and fundraising
14:25 – How hiring works in a small biotech vs. Big Pharma
17:00 – When to use a recruiter, and what they're actually worth
20:22 – What KPIs actually matter during a launch (and which get too much attention)
23:26 – What a commercial mind sees that scientists miss
24:54 – One commercial truth every first-time scientist-CEO needs to hear

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Episode Links:

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About Ann-Charlotte

Ann-Charlotte Rosendahl is the CEO of Sobrera Pharma, a clinical-stage biotech based in Sweden developing novel treatments for addiction disorders, with a first focus on alcohol use disorder. She brings close to 20 years of pharmaceutical industry experience, including nearly 16 years at AstraZeneca, where she served as Global Commercial Director for Nexium and Global Product Vice President for major cardiovascular brands, and a further role at Roche as Global Head of Launch Excellence. She has also worked on the investment side with GU Ventures, advising and sitting on the boards of life science start-ups.

Outside of work, she enjoys beach trips, island hopping along Sweden's west coast, and spending time with friends and family during the Swedish summer.

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Connect with Ann-Charlotte:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anncharlotterosendahl

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About Sobrera Pharma

Sobrera Pharma is a clinical-stage Swedish biotech based in Gothenburg, developing a novel combination treatment for alcohol use disorder, one of the most underserved areas in medicine, with over 100 million people affected globally and less than 3% currently receiving pharmacological treatment. The company's lead asset, SO-001, combines two existing drugs, varenicline and bupropion, to correct the dopamine imbalance in the brain that drives alcohol cravings, reducing consumption and improving quality of life.

The Phase 2 Proof-of-Concept study in 384 patients successfully met its primary endpoints, and Sobrera is now preparing for a Phase 2b study to confirm the efficacy and safety of SO-001 against varenicline alone. Small, agile, and founder-led, the company brings together senior drug developers, commercial strategists, and entrepreneurs and is actively expanding its network and footprint beyond the Nordic region.

Connect with Sobrera Pharma:

Sobrera Pharma: https://sobrera.com/

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About Charles

My name is Charles Spence and I lead Discera. After many years working in the life-science recruitment world, I decided to work for myself. Before doing recruitment I graduated with a biomedical degree, have worked in hospitals (including translation work in Seoul, South Korea), and also spent a year working in diabetes research in Stockholm. After doing research and travel, a career in business and science felt the most appropriate.

In 2023, I decided to launch my firm — Discera Search. A firm committed to solving the biggest talent needs of early clinical stage SME biotechs on the East Coast and DACH.

Connect with me: