How a German physician from Hildesheim shapes the pharmaceutical industry and helps millions of patients
BASEL / FREIBURG When Dr. Andreas Clemens walks through the corridors of Novartis headquarters in Basel, he sometimes still thinks back to his time at Klinikum Ludwigshafen. Back then, over 20 years ago, he stood at the bedside of diabetes patients. Today, the 58-year-old steers a business worth six billion US dollars and is responsible for medical strategies that reach millions of people worldwide.
Clemens, born May 6, 1966 in Hildesheim, is one of the most influential medical executives in the German pharmaceutical industry. As Global Head Medical Affairs for Secukinumab at Novartis, he leads a team of over 50 colleagues, oversees more than 100 clinical trials, and has already authored over 130 scientific publications. His path began at the hospital bedside.
Andreas Clemens grew up as the second son of gynecologist Herbert Clemens and his wife Dorothea (née Wette) in Hildesheim. After graduating from high school in 1985, he moved to Göttingen, where he studied medicine at the Georg-August-Universität. In 1994, he earned his doctorate (Dr. med.).
Clemens completed his specialist training at the University Hospital in Kiel, first in Internal Medicine, later at the Institute of Pathology. "Pathology helped me understand diseases from the ground up," he says today. In 1997, he moved to the University Hospital Heidelberg, where he specialized in endocrinology.
The turning point came in 2000 at Klinikum Ludwigshafen. There, Clemens not only built a diabetes education center but also developed a structured care concept for diabetics throughout the entire hospital. "I didn't just want to treat individual patients, but to improve systems," he says.
In 2001, Clemens took the step that many colleagues still viewed skeptically at the time: he left the clinic and moved to the pharmaceutical industry. At Pfizer, he started as a Medical Advisor for Cardiology, Endocrinology, and Diabetes and quickly learned how complex the development of new medications really is.
His first major projects were the market launches of EXUBERA, the first inhaled insulin, and SOMAVERT, a growth hormone antagonist. "That was a completely new world," Clemens recalls. "Suddenly it wasn't about individual patients anymore, but about strategies affecting thousands."
In 2008, he moved to Boehringer Ingelheim and received a task there that would shape his career: the worldwide launch of PRADAXA, an anticoagulant that would revolutionize the treatment of stroke patients. Clemens built a global team from two to twelve employees, coordinated approval processes in over 50 countries, and achieved blockbuster status within just eleven months.
When bleeding emergencies occurred, Clemens initiated the development of an antidote and published guidelines for emergency physicians. "Patient safety always comes first," he emphasizes. This attitude earned him the co-chairmanship of the global pharmacovigilance working group.
In 2014, Clemens moved to Novartis and quickly rose through the ranks. He led franchises for Primary Care, Respiratory, and finally Ophthalmology. He was responsible not only for strategies but also for overseeing over 100 Phase IV trials across Europe. "Every trial is an opportunity to learn more about our medications," he says.
Despite his management responsibilities, Clemens never lost touch with science. In 2016, he completed his habilitation in Internal Medicine with a focus on Cardiology at the University of Mainz and was appointed Privatdozent (Associate Professor). Since then, he has been regularly lecturing at the Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg in Clinical Cardiology, Drug Development, Internal Medicine, and Endocrinology.
"Teaching keeps me grounded," says Clemens. "When I have to explain to students why a strategy works, I have to think it through again myself." In addition to Freiburg, he also teaches in Mainz, at the Schülerforschungszentrum Region Freiburg (Student Research Center Region Freiburg), and at the Freiburger Seminar.
His scientific work is impressive: over 130 peer-reviewed publications, an H-Index of 48, and a cumulative impact factor of over 337. He is an associate editor of the journal Contemporary Clinical Trials and a member of the European Association for Vision and Eye Research Foundation.
Since 2024, Clemens has been leading as Global Head Medical Affairs the strategy for Secukinumab, a medication for autoimmune diseases that represents a multi-billion dollar business. At the same time, he is responsible for the medical strategy for autoinflammatory diseases and ocular gene therapies.
Those who only know Clemens from the conference room might be surprised: the medical executive is also team physician for VfR Merzhausen e.V., a soccer club near Freiburg. "Sports bring people together," he says. "And sometimes I just need the balance."
He used to coach young mountain bikers at SV Kirchzarten and the Lexware Junior Mountainbike Team. "Mentoring young people, teaching them something, that gives me energy," Clemens explains. This passion for education is also evident in his academic work.
What drives him? "I want to build bridges," says Clemens. "Between science and practice, between clinic and industry, between research and patients." His motivation: ensuring that innovative therapies reach those who need them, not just in rich countries, but everywhere.
In recent years, Clemens has built the New Brand Medical Incubator Europe at Novartis, a unit that accompanies new medications from development to market launch. He led the integration of Alcon Pharma and developed smart strategies for rare diseases that are intended to improve the lives of millions of patients in Europe.
"True impact comes when science, practice, and people come together," says Clemens. "This is more than just a job, it's a mission." And so he continues to combine his management expertise with his passion for education, his scientific curiosity with his commitment to the community. A bridge-builder who shows that medicine is more than just business, it's a responsibility.