Gedea Biotech appoints Julie Waras Brogren as new CEO to lead the company into its commercialization phase
Gedea Biotech today announces a planned CEO transition. After close to ten years as CEO, Annette Säfholm has decided to step down from her role. The Board of Directors has appointed Julie Waras Brogren as the new Chief Executive Officer. Julie has more than 20 years of experience from the pharmaceutical, biotech and medtech industries and she most recently served as Deputy CEO, Chief Commercial Officer and CFO at Ascelia Pharma. She will assume her role at Gedea in early April 2026.
The transition takes place at a very strong point in the company’s development. Under Annette Säfholm’s tenure, Gedea has successfully evolved from early scientific validation into a commercial-ready biotech company with a CE-marked product. As the company now enters commercialization phase, the Board and Annette believe this is a natural point in time to transition to a CEO profile with a primary focus on commercialization and establishing partnerships.
“Annette’s contributions to Gedea cannot be overstated. Thanks to her dedication, perseverance, talent and deep competence, Gedea is today a successful and well-positioned biotech company with an approved product and a clear path to market,” says Ton Berkien, Chairman of the Board of Gedea Biotech. “The Board is deeply grateful for her exceptional work and for the solid foundation she has built for the company’s continued growth. Julie is now taking the company to the next stage of development and the Board is very confident that she is the right person due to her strong expertise and experience in product commercialization and business development.”
Annette Säfholm will continue to support Gedea during a transition period to ensure a smooth handover.
“I feel immense pride in having helped build Gedea, together with our incredible team, from a research stage biotech company to a well-recognized female health company with an approved product in Europe. The timing is right for a leadership transition as the company enters its next phase, and I have full confidence that Gedea will continue to thrive under Julie’s leadership,” says Annette Säfholm.
The incoming CEO, Julie Waras Brogren, brings more than 20 years of experience from the pharmaceutical, biotech and medtech industries. She most recently served as Chief Commercial Officer, deputy CEO and CFO at Ascelia Pharma for six years, a Malmö-based Nasdaq-listed company focused on orphan oncology drugs with one in FDA-approval phase. Her previous roles include President of BresoTec, a Canadian medtech company, and
Novo Nordisk, where she held several leadership positions in commercial functions and global launches.
“I am honored to step into this leadership role at Gedea at this pivotal moment for the company. The team has achieved outstanding results under Annette’s leadership, securing a CE-mark and a strong foundation for growth. I am excited to be taking the baton from Annette for the next phase of commercialization,” says Julie Waras Brogren.
“I thank the Board for entrusting me with this opportunity, and look forward to working with the team as we embark on bringing an innovative, antibiotic‑free approach to managing vaginal infections to women — who expect and deserve better options”.