Christoph Hofbauer

Passionate about adding value at the intersection of reaearch, drug development and business

Greater Barcelona Metropolitan Area

About

Passionate, bilingual (German/English) drug development leader with extensive experience in Portfolio Expansion, New Product Planning, and Project, Alliance, and Portfolio Management within Neuroscience and Rare Diseases. A strategic thinker with a proven ability to bridge Research, Development, and Commercial sectors by proactively addressing key business challenges and driving innovative value creation. Skilled at leading interdisciplinary teams through influence, defining and implementing strategies that align with organizational goals, building mission-driven, diverse teams, and fostering a culture of purpose and connection.

Experience

  • AstraZeneca (1 yr 7 mos)
    • Senior Director, Global Program Manager, Alexion Rare Disease Unit
      Dec 2025 - Present · 8 mos

      As a member of the Alexion Rare Disease Unit Project & Portfolio team, I serve as a strategic partner to Global Program Teams, leadership, and cross-functional sub-teams. I oversee complex programs, driving execution and delivering key milestones while fostering collaboration and positive team dynamics. By championing Alexion’s operating model, I ensure effective planning and operation across teams and contribute to prioritization, corporate initiatives, and disease area strategy.

    • Senior Director, Global Program Manager, Alexion Rare Disease Unit
      Jan 2025 - Nov 2025 · 11 mos

      As a member of the Alexion Rare Disease Unit Project & Portfolio team, I serve as a strategic partner to Global Program Teams, leadership, and cross-functional sub-teams. I oversee complex programs, driving execution and delivering key milestones while fostering collaboration and positive team dynamics. By championing Alexion’s operating model, I ensure effective planning and operation across teams and contribute to prioritization, corporate initiatives, and disease area strategy.

  • Senior Director, Portfolio Expansion and Disease Area Strategy Neuroscience at Takeda
    Sep 2023 - Sep 2024 · 1 yr 1 mo

    Overall accountability for commercial assessments and strategies that support the Neuroscience (focus Neurodegeneration and Rare Neurology) Disease Area Strategy, including specific pipeline asset strategies and business development (BD). • Served as the global commercial lead for a clinical-stage Alzheimer’s Disease BD deal that closed in May 2024. • Co-led the Neuroscience BD core team, actively scanning the landscape and recommending due diligence opportunities to senior leadership. • Co-led the refresh of the Neurodegenerative DAS and directed the Neurodegenerative Commercial and Market Access Strategy Sandbox and oversaw Rare Neurology BD due diligence projects and the refresh of the DAS. • Acted as the commercial lead and global program team member for clinical-stage neuroscience assets, providing input on asset strategies and stage gate recommendations.

  • Takeda (4 yrs 10 mos)
    • Head, Rare Disease Drug Discovery Unit Project, Alliance and Portfolio Management
      Sep 2022 - Jul 2023 · 11 mos

      Established and led a team of seven project and alliance management professionals supporting a portfolio of in-house and partnered drug development endeavors. • Implemented project management best practices, including team charters and risk management strategies, which improved resource utilization efficiency. • Led a cross-functional gene therapy portfolio prioritization exercise which informed enterprise strategy and saved multi-millions of dollars in R&D spend.

    • Director, New Products Lead Rare Hematology
      Oct 2018 - Sep 2022 · 4 yrs

      Led commercial input in early pipeline and business development programs and served as the strategic liaison to Business Development, Corporate Strategy, and Research & Development groups. • Led more than a dozen teams creating Target Product Profiles and corresponding commercial forecasts to drive strategic alignment, resulting in optimized and informed strategic decision making. • Provided input into primary and secondary market research projects by combining technical, scientific, commercial and market access expertise that validated key assumptions. • Conducted Competitive Intelligence at international conferences and implemented insights. • Led cross-functional disease area strategy projects by consolidating diverse inputs of key internal and external stakeholders which helped to align on long-term strategic goals and streamlined resources.

  • Shire ()
    • Associate Director
      Aug 2017 - Sep 2018 · 1 yr 2 mos

      Managed cross-functional, strategic programs planning and teams through corporate governance decision-making processes. • Managed team through IND submission by ensuring seamless communication and collaboration of cross-functional stakeholders and timely troubleshooting kept the team focused and minimized delays. • Improved strategic scenario planning by implementing probabilistic decision analysis which helped the team to focus on key drivers. • Acted is interim Global Program Lead and ensured business continuity through a period of staff turnover.

    • Program Manager R&D
      Jun 2016 - Jul 2017 · 1 yr 2 mos

      Managed multiple global development programs including budget and resource planning. • Co-developed cross-functional plan to ensure differentiation path followed by wind-down of clinical stage development program due to strategic business decision.

  • Project Manager at Baxalta
    Jul 2015 - May 2016 · 11 mos

    Managed a global development program including budget and resource planning. • Ensured business continuity for high priority development programs during relocation of Research & Development headquarter from Vienna, AT to Cambridge, MA by holding institutional know-how and establishing intercontinental relationships.