Rachel Leder Couchenour
About Rachel Leder Couchenour
Rachel Leder Couchenour serves as the Vice President of Global Medical Affairs at Travere Therapeutics, a position she has held since 2021. With extensive experience in medical affairs across various companies, she has a strong background in gene therapy and rare diseases.
Work at Travere Therapeutics
Rachel Leder Couchenour serves as the Vice President of Global Medical Affairs at Travere Therapeutics. She has held this position since 2021, contributing to the company's mission in the Charlotte, North Carolina area. In her role, she focuses on strategic initiatives that align with the company's objectives in the medical affairs domain.
Previous Experience in Medical Affairs
Prior to her current role, Rachel held several significant positions in medical affairs. She worked as the Senior Director of Medical Affairs at Mateon Therapeutics from 2015 to 2017. She also served as the Vice President and Head of US Medical Affairs at Novartis Gene Therapies for eight months in 2020 to 2021. Additionally, she was the Senior Director of Medical Affairs at Chelsea Therapeutics from 2011 to 2014 and at Lundbeck from 2014 to 2015.
Educational Background
Rachel earned her Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Marketing from Drexel University's LeBow College of Business, completing her studies from 2007 to 2009. She also holds a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree from the Medical University of South Carolina, where she studied from 1994 to 1996. Earlier, she obtained a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Pharmacy from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, studying from 1989 to 1994.
Therapeutic Expertise
Rachel has extensive therapeutic experience in various areas including gene therapy, rare diseases, spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), neurology (specifically movement disorders and epilepsy), benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), osteoarthritis (OA), sleep disorders, and diabetes. This diverse expertise supports her contributions to medical affairs and strategic planning in her current and previous roles.
Leadership and Collaboration Skills
Rachel is recognized for her ability to translate business objectives into actionable plans that enhance performance for both departmental and field-based teams. She has a strong record of cross-functional collaboration with internal and external stakeholders, having expanded and led the Neurology MSL organization in support of the Northera product launch. She has also served on the Medical Affairs Leadership Team and participated in cross-functional strategic planning teams for neurology brands.