ApconiX Welcomes Dr Anna Westlind-Johnsson
ApconiX is delighted to welcome Dr Anna Westlind-Johnsson who joins the Toxicology and DMPK Consultancy Team as a Project toxicologist in Regulatory toxicology and will be working with Dr Richard Knight, Director and co-founder of ApconiX.
Academic Career
Anna’s career in toxicology began with a MSc in Chemistry from the University of Gothenburg, followed by the Education and Training program in Toxicology and a PhD in Molecular Toxicology from the Karolinska Institutet in Solna, Sweden. Her thesis focused on molecular investigations of the variability in expression and activity of CYP3A4.
Anna brings over 15 years of experience in drug development at AstraZeneca, and more than 10 years as a Project Toxicologist. She has also worked in DMPK and in Clinical Pharmacology with Pharmacogenetics and Personalized Medicine. Her experience covers the drug development lifecycle from a regulatory toxicology perspective, from candidate selection and CTA/IND-enabling toxicology studies up to preparation of marketing application. Anna has been responsible toxicologist in multiple drug projects and the nonclinical lead for MAAs/NDAs and worldwide submissions including regulatory defence and labelling discussions for drug approval, and post marketing commitments. She has contributed to multiple health authority interactions in several territories including FDA, EMA, MHRA and PMDA. Her work has focused primarily on small molecules, and oligonucleotides, but also monoclonal antibodies and drug combinations, largely in the therapeutic area of Cardiovascular and Metabolic diseases, but also other areas such as Neurology.
Anna has also been active in the IQ Consortium DrugSafe working group for Oligonucleotide-based Therapeutics and in Oligonucleotide Safety Workings groups (OSWG) of the Oligonucleotide Therapeutic Society. She is a European Registered Toxicologist (ERT) and a Diplomate of the American Board of Toxicology (DABT).
Following the closure of AstraZeneca’s Global Safety Assessment site in Södertälje in 2012, Anna held senior project leader roles at Swedish national health authorities, including the Medical Products Agency (MPA), leading governmental assignments about benefit-risk assessments of drugs prescribed for off-label use, the Agency for Health Technology Assessment (HTAs), and the National Board of Health and Welfare and gained a broader insight into evaluation of scientific evidence and benefit-risk assessment.
In 2019, Anna rejoined AstraZeneca R&D in Gothenburg as Project Toxicologist in Clinical Pharmacology and Safety Sciences (CPSS).
Working at ApconiX
Anna originally met Dr Richard Knight and Prof Ruth Roberts, directors and co-founders of Apconix, when they were working at AstraZeneca and connected again at EUROTOX in Copenhagen in 2024, leading to her current role as a Project Toxicologist in Regulatory Toxicology. In this role, she will focus on delivering toxicology support to clients’ drug projects, provide strategic and pragmatic advice, plan and execute toxicology programs and support health authority interactions. Joining Apconix, Anna is looking forward to being part of a team with exceptional expertise and experience and will enjoy working with clients in this beneficial context.
Dr Richard Knight commented “It is a pleasure to have Anna join the ApconiX team. Her knowledge and experience in development projects across different modalities and therapy areas, will be a real asset. Anna is also a great team-player and I’m sure our clients will benefit from her guidance and insights”.
Interests outside of work
Outside of work, Anna has a strong interest in the arts, particularly painting in oil and acrylics. She takes painting classes and did a year at University of Textile and Design before switching to science, commenting amusingly “I had a bit of difficulty choosing [between science and arts]” both areas being close to her heart. She enjoys music, loves a good concert and plays the piano. In her free time Anna also likes to travel with family and friends.
