PLYMOUTH MEETING, PA — Harmony Biosciences Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: HRMY) has announced the appointment of Adam Zaeske as its new Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer (CCO), effective March 31, 2025. Zaeske brings more than 25 years of global pharmaceutical leadership, making him a key addition as the company enters its next phase of growth.
Zaeske succeeds Jeffrey Dierks, Harmony’s outgoing CCO, who is stepping down for personal reasons. Dierks has played a pivotal role in establishing Harmony’s commercial foundation, including the successful launch and ongoing growth of WAKIX® (pitolisant), the first and only FDA-approved treatment specifically designed for adult patients with excessive daytime sleepiness or cataplexy in narcolepsy.
A Vision for Strategic Growth
Zaeske will oversee Harmony’s commercial operations, shaping strategies to expand the company’s footprint in the U.S. and international markets. He is positioned to lead the scaling of the company’s operations as Harmony builds on the success of WAKIX and prepares to commercialize late-stage pipeline products addressing rare neurological disorders.
“I am very excited to welcome Adam to the team as we build upon the commercial success of WAKIX in narcolepsy and prepare for our next phase of growth,” said Harmony President and CEO Jeffrey M. Dayno, M.D. “Adam’s deep commercial expertise, proven leadership across both the U.S. and international markets, and experience launching and growing brands, including in rare diseases, make him the ideal person to lead our Commercial team and drive our next phase of growth.”
Over the past five years, Harmony has made significant strides with WAKIX, projecting that the drug alone could exceed $1 billion in revenue solely from adult narcolepsy. Zaeske’s expertise in market expansion and portfolio management is expected to complement the company’s pursuit of approvals for new pitolisant formulations and additional late-stage assets targeting unmet medical needs.
Extensive Global Leadership
Zaeske brings extensive experience in commercial strategy, sales, marketing, market access, and operations. Most recently, he served as Head of Central, South, and Eastern Europe at Takeda Pharmaceuticals, managing a $2 billion business spanning 25 countries and nearly 900 employees. Under his leadership, the region achieved three consecutive years of double-digit growth, becoming the largest contributor to Takeda’s European and Canadian business.
Zaeske’s career also includes leadership roles in rare diseases and neurology, therapeutic areas that align with Harmony’s mission. “I am impressed by the Harmony team, their clarity of purpose in helping people living with rare neurological diseases, and the success of WAKIX in narcolepsy,” he said. “I am very excited to be joining the organization at such a pivotal time with the opportunity to expand on that success with the next-generation pitolisant formulations as well as the late-stage products in their robust pipeline.”
Zaeske holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a business administration degree from the University of Michigan, where he graduated with honors.
Poised for Future Growth
Harmony is focused on advancing its growth strategy through commercial success, innovative therapies, and market expansion. By leveraging Zaeske’s expertise, the company aims to increase access to therapies for patients worldwide while continuing to develop its promising pipeline.
“I want to express my gratitude to Jeffrey Dierks for his contributions in building Harmony’s strong commercial foundation,” added Dr. Dayno. “With this foundation, we remain confident in our 2025 revenue guidance and in WAKIX being a $1B plus opportunity in adult narcolepsy alone.”
Harmony’s investment in seasoned leadership and dedication to serving patients with rare neurological disorders positions it as a rising player in the pharmaceutical landscape, with ambitions to deliver groundbreaking solutions to patients across the globe.
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