Steve Howson to lead Ferring UK

Ferring UK has appointed Steve Howson as its new general manager.

He will have responsibility for operations in the UK and Malta, and as part of his new role will be aiming to further accelerate Ferring UK’s recent growth. 

“Recent performance has been underpinned by excellence in marketing and a consistent drive to build sustainable value for stakeholders," he said.

"As Ferring prepares to launch new products in both existing and new therapy areas, focus will be given to ensuring optimal access for both clinicians and their patients in order to meet areas of significant unmet need.”

He joins Ferring from Medicsight, a medical imaging company specialising in the early detection of cancer, where he was chief operating officer. Over the last two years he helped establish commercial operations in target territories and contributed to laying the foundations for upcoming product launches

Howson has over 20 years experience within the pharmaceutical industry, and has previously held a variety of commercial positions with both Lundbeck and Shire Pharmaceuticals.

At Shire he established the UK hospital business unit before moving to the company’s international division as VP of international commercial operations. In this role he managed a diverse portfolio of products in addition to building key functions to support Shire’s international expansion.

During his time at Shire he was also seconded as general manager to Shire Iberica, where he oversaw the launch of Fosrenol and reorganised operations to focus on core strategic products.

Gilles Pluntz, senior VP for Western Europe at Ferring Pharmaceuticals, said: “Steve’s background and experience in the UK market and the international pharmaceutical environment will be very valuable at Ferring. In particular his keen interest and expertise on market access issues will help him manage current challenges and find new opportunities on the UK market.”