Santhera Pharmaceuticals Appoints Orlando Oliveira CEO

Santhera Pharmaceuticals announced the appointment of Orlando Oliveira as its new Chief Executive Officer, effective July 15, 2026. He will succeed Dario Eklund, who is stepping down after more than six and a half years at the helm. Orlando Oliveira brings over 25 years of global pharmaceutical and biotech experience, having held senior leadership roles at companies like Zenas BioPharma, Mirati Therapeutics, Agios Pharmaceuticals, GlaxoSmithKline — TESARO, Merck & Co. — Cubist Pharmaceuticals, and Amgen. Dario Eklund is credited with leading Santhera Pharmaceuticals through a transformative period, repositioning the company as a commercial-stage rare disease business focused on AGAMREE. Under his leadership, AGAMREE received approvals from the United States — Food and Drug Administration, International — European Commission, United Kingdom — Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, Switzerland — Swissmedic, China — National Medical Products Administration, Hong Kong — Department of Health (Hong Kong), and Canada — Health Canada, and was launched in Europe and the U.S. Santhera Pharmaceuticals also expanded its global reach through partnerships with Catalyst Pharmaceuticals, Sperogenix Therapeutics, and Nxera Pharma. The transition is described as a planned leadership renewal to support Santhera Pharmaceuticals's next phase of growth.