In Profile: Swiss Biotech Entrepreneur Martine Clozel

A Leading Example for Female Executives

Martine and her husband joined pharmaceutical industry giant Roche in Basel in 1987. There she worked as a research scientist. “I really loved this work because, with a breakthrough discovery, you can potentially help thousands of people, while as a household doctor, you can basically treat only one patient at a time,” she explained to womeninbusiness.ch.

Roche, however, wanted to stop developing the drug for heart failure that Martine and her husband had been working on. Nevertheless, they believed in their project and wanted to continue. They went on to found Actelion and launch a drug for pulmonary arterial hypertension. It was a great success for both the company and those suffering from the condition. As she modestly told news portal cash.ch, “It was teamwork. I have always tried to set a good example and show direction with regard to research.”

Over the next twenty years, Actelion received approval for five new treatments. The company’s headcount grew steadily to number more than 2,500 employees around the world in 2017, with around half of them women. 

Martine Clozel placed women in the role of general manager at many of Actelion’s global sites, including those in France, Austria, Greece, Poland and Mexico. “Times have changed a lot since I went to university and started my career. Today, it is easier to start a career as a woman and reconcile it with a family,” she said.

Continued Success at Idorsia

In 2017, Actelion was acquired by Johnson & Johnson for US $30 billion, of which the Clozels received around US $1.5 billion from the sale of their shares. The couple then founded a new pharmaceutical research company called Idorsia. Here she continues to head up research, as she did at Actelion. The company’s portfolio currently includes two marketed products and more than ten active ingredients in clinical development. Idorsia employs over 1,300 professionals worldwide and is listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange.

About 45% of Idorsia employees are women. “I think it is important for women with children to be able to return to work after a parental leave. At Idorsia, we strive to create the best possible conditions for families, in which we offer, for example, flexible working time models and enable home  offices,” says the 68-year-old entrepreneur, who has no plans to step down. 

Sustainability is important to the Clozels.“Building a sustainable pharmaceutical company requires scientific innovation and significant investments,” Jean-Paul Clozel has stated. 

While Idorsia has proven that it is capable of bringing new treatments to the market, its financial resources are currently limited, with cash reserves projected to be sufficient for operations through the early April 2024. “Therefore, we plan to extend our cash funds in various ways, including potential licensing deals,”Jean-Paul Clozel shared.

Strengthening Switzerland as a Biotech Hub

In 2022 Martine Clozel won Initiative Switzerland’s Prix Suisse, awarded annually to a person who has accomplished “exceptional achievements for Switzerland.” In the same year, she and her husband received honorary doctorates from the University of Basel’s Faculty of Philosophy and Sciences.

Both Actelion and Idorsia are headquartered in Allschwil, a village and municipality in the district of Arlesheim in the Canton of Basel, Switzerland. Martine Clozel has said that Switzerland – especially the area around Basel – is a good location for attracting the best talents in the pharmaceutical industry. Close proximity to large companies such as Roche and Novartis is an important factor, and yet there is plenty of room for startups and smaller industry players.

People of all backgrounds and nationalities are welcome at Idorsia; its employees come from 43 countries. “Research is not an easy field, especially if you want to do something completely new. You can only succeed in a team,” says Switzerland’s most successful scientific researcher.