AstraZeneca India appoints Praveen Rao Akkinepally new MD

Drug firm AstraZeneca Pharma India has announced a leadership change. They announced the appointment of Praveen Rao Akkinepally as the company’s new MD. He will assume the role from 1 July for a term of three years.

Akkinepally has succeeded Sanjeev Kumar Panchal, who has resigned from his position, effective from the close of business on June 30. He will be moving to a global role within the AstraZeneca Group, based in Gaithersburg, Maryland, US.

Akkinepally is a senior commercial leader with over two decades of experience across the US, global markets, and India, particularly in oncology and biopharmaceuticals. He has led several brand launches and driven global commercial strategies at AstraZeneca.

Before being named as the new MD,  Akkinepally worked as the oncology business unit head for India saw significant growth in the company’s market presence and a series of successful oncology product launches.

He comes with over 20 years of leadership experience in US and Global roles, having started at AstraZeneca as a microbiologist before seamlessly transitioning to commercial roles. His journey includes impactful roles such as Head of Marketing- oncology brands in the US, contributing to transformative changes in clinical practice and patient impact.

Akkinepally holds an MBA from The University of Michigan, Ross School of Business, and an MPH from Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg School of Public Health.