MSD Appoints Brecht Vanneste as Managing Director for India 

Key Highlights: 

• MSD has appointed Brecht Vanneste as Managing Director for its India operations, effective March 1, 2026. He will be based in Mumbai. 

• Vanneste brings more than 27 years of experience at MSD and most recently served as Oncology Business Unit Leader in China, where he led strategic initiatives to introduce new oncology products and expand patient access programmes. 

• During his tenure at MSD, he has held several leadership roles including Managing Director for Belgium and Luxembourg, along with regional positions across Europe and Canada in sales, marketing and market access functions. 

Implications:  

Oncology ace Vanneste turbocharges MSD’s immuno-oncology push against Roche/Pfizer, targeting India’s exploding cancer caseload with keytruda successors. 
China success signals aggressive hospital KOL capture and combo therapy acceleration, stealing share from entrenched multinationals. 
Leadership shift ignites PE speculation around MSD’s India pivot toward high-margin precision oncology platforms. 

Source: Pharmabiz | Image: MSD