In Naples’ pharmaceutical district, Barbara Maglione has built a solid career focused on developing treatments that make a real difference in patients’ lives. As Head of R&D at Farmaceutici Damor SpA, she leads a team dedicated to advancing medicine in gynaecology, and dermatology—therapeutic areas where focused expertise can have meaningful impact.
Barbara’s approach to pharmaceutical development is straightforward: start with genuine patient needs, apply rigorous science, and deliver effective treatments. Her work demonstrates how specialized pharmaceutical companies like Damor can contribute significantly to healthcare by concentrating on specific therapeutic areas where they can build deep expertise.
A Personal Mission Rooted in Loss
Barbara’s path into pharmaceutical R&D began with a personal tragedy that shaped her career goals. As a child, she lost a close friend to brain cancer—an experience that left a lasting impact.
“I really couldn’t accept that someone so young could go through so much pain and even pass away,” Barbara recalls. “For this reason, I told myself I wanted somehow to be of use in this world and to try to help people suffering with new solutions.”
This early experience instilled a patient-focused perspective that continues to guide her work today. Rather than pursuing pharmaceutical R&D for purely academic or commercial reasons, Barbara’s motivation remains deeply personal—helping develop treatments that can genuinely improve or save lives.
Building Expertise Through International Experience
Barbara’s professional development was significantly shaped by her time at Novartis Basel, where she gained valuable experience in large-scale pharmaceutical operations. This exposure taught her important lessons about translational research—the critical process of moving discoveries from the laboratory to clinical applications.
“Working in a large, integrated pharmaceutical company reinforced the critical importance of strong translational research—bridging basic science with clinical application,” she explains. This experience also provided deep exposure to quality systems and regulatory processes that would prove valuable in her current role.
The international experience gave Barbara a broader perspective on how pharmaceutical development works across different markets and regulatory environments. This knowledge has been particularly useful as Damor expands its reach and develops products for international markets.
Focused Strategy in Specialized Therapeutics
At Farmaceutici Damor, Barbara has helped establish a clear focus on three therapeutic areas: gynaecology, and dermatology. This specialization allows the company to build deep clinical expertise and develop strong relationships with healthcare professionals in these fields.
“We aim to be recognized for our scientific rigor, patient-centric innovation, and the rapid translation of cutting-edge research into accessible and effective treatments,” she explains. This focus enables Damor to concentrate its resources and expertise where they can have the greatest impact.
The specialized approach has practical advantages. The R&D team can develop deeper understanding of specific patient populations and disease mechanisms. Clinical trials can be designed with greater precision, and the commercial team can build stronger relationships with specialist physicians who understand the unique challenges in these therapeutic areas.
Responding to Crisis: COVID-19 Adaptation
When COVID-19 disrupted healthcare systems worldwide, Barbara’s team found ways to support patient care using Damor’s existing capabilities. For bioarginina®, traditionally used for asthenia and recovery, the team conducted observational studies to explore its potential role in post-COVID recovery, particularly for managing fatigue.
“This wasn’t about treating COVID-19, but about enhancing recovery for those affected, providing a much-needed supportive therapy,” Barbara explains. The team also worked to ensure continued supply of Fitostimoline®, Damor’s tissue repair product, which became important for managing wounds in hospitalized patients.
The crisis demonstrated the importance of operational flexibility and the ability to quickly adapt existing products to meet emerging patient needs while maintaining scientific integrity and regulatory compliance.
Strategic Growth Through Acquisition
Damor’s acquisition of Laboratoires Carilène in France represents a strategic expansion that Barbara helped guide from an R&D perspective. The acquisition provided access to the French market while bringing complementary expertise in dermocosmetics and natural health products.
“The acquisition offered opportunities to leverage Carilène’s R&D capabilities while bringing in their experienced team and scientific know-how to enrich our overall organizational capabilities,” Barbara notes. The integration has allowed Damor to expand its product portfolio while maintaining its focus on specialized therapeutic areas.
The acquisition exemplifies Barbara’s understanding that successful growth comes from combining complementary capabilities rather than simply expanding for the sake of size.
Innovation in Action: bioarginina®C Development
One of Barbara’s key achievements has been leading the development of bioarginina®C, a project that required overcoming significant formulation challenges. The team worked to develop a stable liposomal formulation of vitamin C while demonstrating clear clinical benefits.
The project required careful attention to formulation stability and extensive clinical validation. “Demonstrating clear clinical benefits in a challenging patient population, leading to top international publications,” Barbara explains, highlighting both the technical complexity and the clinical evidence required.
This project illustrates Barbara’s approach to innovation: identifying genuine medical needs, applying appropriate scientific methods, and maintaining rigorous standards throughout development to ensure the final product truly benefits patients.
Staying Current in a Rapidly Evolving Field
Barbara maintains her scientific knowledge through multiple channels. She subscribes to leading scientific journals, attends international conferences, and participates in professional development courses. Internally, she fosters knowledge sharing through scientific presentations and journal clubs.
Strategic partnerships with universities and research institutions provide exposure to emerging research trends and potential collaboration opportunities. This network helps the R&D team stay current with developments that might be relevant to their therapeutic focus areas.
Patient-Centered Development Process
Barbara’s team integrates patient perspectives throughout the R&D process. This begins with understanding patient journeys and unmet needs through collaboration with clinicians and patient advocacy groups. Clinical trial design includes consideration of patient preferences for dosage forms and administration routes.
“Regulatory submissions and internal approvals always prioritize the benefit-risk profile from a patient’s perspective,” Barbara explains. Post-market studies help understand how products perform in real-world clinical settings, providing feedback for continuous improvement.
Looking Ahead: Future Opportunities
Barbara identifies several promising areas for future development. Microbiome research offers potential applications in gynaecological health and skin conditions. Advanced drug delivery systems could improve both efficacy and patient experience for existing and new products.
“Developing more precise and patient-friendly drug delivery methods, improving efficacy and reducing side effects,” Barbara notes, particularly through improved topical delivery and sustained-release formulations.
The integration of digital health tools alongside pharmaceutical products could enhance treatment outcomes and patient adherence, though this remains an area for future exploration.
Leadership Through Empowerment
Barbara’s leadership style focuses on empowering her team while maintaining clear accountability. “Giving scientists the freedom to explore novel ideas, make decisions, and own their projects,” she explains, while ensuring team members understand expectations and deliverables.
She works to create an environment where team members can learn from both successes and failures—essential for innovation in the highly regulated pharmaceutical environment. Investment in continuous learning keeps the team current with scientific developments.
Advice for Women in Science
Barbara’s advice to young women entering pharmaceutical science is practical and grounded in experience. “Build a strong scientific foundation” remains essential, but she emphasizes the importance of understanding the broader business context.
“Don’t limit yourself to the lab. Understand the commercial, regulatory, and manufacturing aspects of the business,” she advises. Communication skills are crucial for advancement: “Be able to articulate complex scientific concepts clearly and persuasively to diverse audiences.”
She particularly emphasizes mentorship and strategic networking: “Find mentors, both male and female, who can guide you, offer advice, and advocate for you.”
Integrating Science and Business
Barbara’s executive training at SDA Bocconi complemented her scientific background with business skills. “Providing a deeper understanding of market dynamics, financial management, competitive strategy, and business model innovation,” this training enhanced her ability to make strategic R&D decisions.
The business education also improved her leadership capabilities and helped her understand R&D as part of the entire pharmaceutical value chain, enabling better collaboration with manufacturing, regulatory, and commercial teams.
The Value of Collaboration
Barbara recognizes that modern pharmaceutical development increasingly requires collaboration across borders and organizations. “Access to diverse talent and expertise globally” enables companies to address complex scientific challenges more effectively.
Cross-border collaboration also provides access to broader patient populations for clinical trials, leading to more robust data. “Collaborations can help share the significant financial burden and inherent risks of drug development” while accelerating innovation.
Building for the Future
Barbara’s vision for Damor focuses on strengthening the company’s position in its chosen therapeutic areas through continued investment in R&D capabilities and strategic partnerships. The goal is sustainable growth based on scientific excellence and genuine patient benefit.
This includes exploring opportunities in emerging markets and complementary therapeutic areas while maintaining the specialized focus that has enabled Damor’s success. Technology integration will continue to optimize R&D processes and improve decision-making.
A Career Built on Purpose
Barbara Maglione’s career demonstrates how personal motivation, scientific rigor, and strategic thinking can combine to create meaningful impact in pharmaceutical development. Her work at Farmaceutici Damor shows how specialized companies can contribute significantly to healthcare by focusing on specific therapeutic areas and maintaining high standards for scientific and clinical development.
Her journey from personal tragedy to pharmaceutical leadership illustrates the importance of purpose-driven careers in science. By combining patient focus with solid business principles, Barbara has built a model for pharmaceutical leadership that delivers both meaningful patient benefits and sustainable business results.
Through her work developing new products, building capable teams, and fostering scientific collaboration, Barbara continues to demonstrate that successful pharmaceutical innovation comes from matching genuine patient needs with rigorous scientific methods and sound business execution.
