By Dr Michael Klein, Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Over the course of my career, I have had the privilege of working across healthcare systems on three continents. From some of the world’s most advanced pharmaceutical markets to rapidly developing healthcare environments in countries such as Cambodia and Vietnam, I have witnessed both the extraordinary progress modern medicine can deliver and the profound inequalities that continue to exist in access to care.
Those experiences shaped a conviction that has remained with me throughout my career: healthcare is ultimately about creating opportunities for people to live healthier, more productive lives. While the challenges facing healthcare systems may differ from one country to another, the most rewarding work has always been finding innovative ways to overcome those challenges and build something better for future generations.
Having spent more than two decades in the pharmaceutical industry, I have seen firsthand how access to essential medicines can change lives. I have also seen how quickly that access can be disrupted. Decisions made in boardrooms thousands of kilometres away—in North America, Europe, or Asia—can have immediate consequences for patients across Africa. Products may be deprioritised, supply chains restructured, manufacturing relocated, or investment redirected. While these decisions may make strategic sense within a global portfolio, they can leave local healthcare systems vulnerable and patients with fewer options.
As we approach one of the largest waves of pharmaceutical patent expiries in modern history, with significant patent cliffs expected between 2026 and 2032, the need for resilient local pharmaceutical capability has never been greater. These changes will create both challenges and opportunities for healthcare systems around the world. For Africa, they represent a pivotal moment.
Today, more than 70% of medicines used across Africa are imported. This dependence exposes countries to supply chain disruptions, currency volatility, geopolitical uncertainty, and decisions made far beyond our borders. At the same time, it highlights an extraordinary opportunity: the opportunity to build stronger pharmaceutical capability closer to the patients who need it most.
That opportunity is the reason Ansilo Health exists.
Ansilo Health was founded on a simple belief: Africa should not merely consume healthcare innovation—it should help create it, manufacture it, commercialise it, and scale it. We have the scientific talent. We have the entrepreneurial energy. We have world-class healthcare professionals, researchers, pharmacists, regulators, and business leaders. What has often been missing is the platform capable of bringing these capabilities together with a long-term vision.
Rather than attempting to retrofit legacy systems designed for a different era, we are building a pharmaceutical company from the ground up for the future. We are embracing technologies such as artificial intelligence, advanced analytics, digital quality systems, and modern operating models to create a more agile, efficient, and scalable pharmaceutical organisation. Equally important, we are building a company that reflects the mindset of the next generation of healthcare leaders—one that values innovation, speed, collaboration, and purpose.
Our ambition is not simply to build another pharmaceutical company. Our ambition is to help establish a new model for pharmaceutical development, commercialisation, and manufacturing in Africa—one capable of improving healthcare outcomes while creating sustainable economic value for the continent.
What gives me the greatest confidence in that vision is the people behind it.
I am fortunate to be surrounded by an exceptional founding executive team whose collective experience spans multinational pharmaceutical leadership, medical affairs, regulatory sciences, manufacturing, quality systems, supply chain management, and commercial strategy. Their expertise is matched by their energy, integrity, and belief in what we are trying to achieve together.
Building something meaningful is never easy. It requires courage, perseverance, and a willingness to challenge established assumptions. Yet there are few things more fulfilling than working alongside talented people to create an institution that has the potential to improve lives long after we are gone.
That is why I am building Ansilo Health.
Not simply to create a company, but to help build a stronger, more resilient healthcare future for Africa.
