The presence and leadership of women are growing across different sectors, from technology to craftsmanship and law, highlighting their strength and influence in today’s business landscape.

This does not mean that all the work has been done to achieve parity in entrepreneurship, but entrepreneurship is the path many women choose to pursue their dreams.

Marisa Berenguer: Farmalider and Idea Therapeutics

Since 2022, Marisa Berenguer Muñoz has been the CEO of Farmalider, a 100% Spanish pharmaceutical and biotechnology company that has been operating since 1986.

Berenguer has been linked to the company’s board since 1997, initially as an advisor and also involved in governance matters. Now, as CEO, she leads the strategy, development, and international expansion of prescription medicines, over-the-counter drugs, and everyday pharmaceutical products for health care (divisions also known as MED (Rx), OTC, and Consumer Health). She is also responsible for coordinating all actions related to licensing and partnerships.

In addition, Berenguer is leading an innovative initiative to diversify the company. She is the CEO and founder of Idea Therapeutics, focused on advanced therapies. Through this company, AGAcell is being developed — a cellular platform currently in the research phase aimed at offering a treatment for androgenetic alopecia. Thanks to this work, she was recently recognized by the Spanish Association of Women Entrepreneurs (ASEME) as Entrepreneur of the Year.

Research into a new therapy based on the use of stem cells to treat the most common type of baldness—caused by genetic factors—has been one of the main highlights of the FUE ASIA congress, held in India from last Friday through Monday. The principal investigator of the AGACell project, Dr. Eduardo López Bran, participated in the congress as one of the guests of honor, where he delivered a lecture presenting his methodology, the current status of the research, and the results he expects to achieve.

“Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) can be reversed with cell therapy.” This is demonstrated by the successful results of the research I lead at the San Carlos University Clinical Hospital in Madrid,” said the head of the hospital’s Dermatology Department and director of the specialized IMEMA clinic, as reported to EFE Salud.

Held in the Indian city of Hyderabad, FUE ASIA is considered the world’s most important global meeting of medical specialists dedicated to combating hair loss, bringing together around 700 medical and academic representatives from more than 20 countries across Asia, North America, Ibero-America, and Europe.

Many people try to prevent or alleviate it, but that is not always possible. For everyone who is losing hair and worried about alopecia, the nurse and well-known social media content creator with six million followers on TikTok, Jorge Ángel, answered the most frequently asked question: “Is the end of baldness approaching? Possibly.” He explained the most common type of baldness and revealed a Spanish study in a video on the platform.

Read more: La Razón

“Among the different options dermatologists have to address androgenetic alopecia, oral finasteride 1 mg, topical finasteride, and oral dutasteride 0.5 mg are surrounded by controversy due to the possible appearance of adverse side effects, which can be very serious for some patients,” he explains.

“For this reason, specialists in the field feel the need to share the information currently available, as indicated by the Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee (PRAC) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the Spanish Agency of Medicines and Medical Devices (AEMPS),” he adds.

Last May, the AEMPS reported cases of suicidal ideation in patients treated with oral finasteride 1 mg and topical finasteride, mainly in those receiving treatment for male androgenetic alopecia; although the evaluation also included finasteride 5 mg and dutasteride 0.5 mg in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia.

The European database of suspected adverse drug reactions (EudraVigilance) reviewed 325 reported cases of patients with depressed mood, depression, or suicidal ideation: 313 were associated with finasteride.

The remaining 13 cases, linked to dutasteride, do not allow a causal relationship with suicidal thoughts to be confirmed. However, due to its mechanism of action—similar to finasteride, as both inhibit 5-alpha-reductase—it is considered a possible class effect.

At the same time, and despite being listed in the package leaflet for finasteride 1 mg, this medicine may cause sexual dysfunction, which could contribute to the development of mood disorders in patients.

In fact, the PRAC concluded that the level of evidence for these risks varies depending on the indications, active substances, and formulations evaluated.

“Hopefully, the different studies already underway will help clarify the reality of the relationship between the adverse effects reported and the use of these drugs. As professionals, we have the obligation to provide truthful and rigorous information, with common sense, to our patients,” Dr. López Bran emphasizes.

Read more: EFE:Salud

At Ideeea Therapeutics and Farmalider, projects such as AGAcell—our preclinical research in cell therapy for androgenetic alopecia—illustrate this reality well: early stages, uncertainty, and a commitment to move forward step by step. Today, AGAcell is under evaluation by our scientific and clinical teams, and any future progress will be determined by the evidence and by regulatory authorities. In biotechnology, the narrative must always follow the data, never lead it. Another key aspect of this kind of leadership is managing diverse teams. Within a single project, researchers, clinicians, quality experts, regulatory specialists, finance, business, and intellectual property professionals all work side by side. Often, my role is one of translation: turning scientific language into strategic and financial language—and vice versa.

There is also an ethical dimension that cannot be ignored. Biotechnology must serve humanity and be developed with responsibility and with the fairest possible access. This requires prudence in communication, transparency regarding risks, and absolute respect for regulations at every stage. Ideeea Therapeutics, beyond embracing these principles, was founded with the purpose of contributing to the democratization of advanced therapies, working so that in the future they can be made safely and rigorously available to an ever-growing number of patients. Ultimately, this is the true north of leadership in biotechnology: not only building companies, but leaving a legacy of useful science, demanding ethics, and teams willing to think in decades while others remain focused on the next quarter. Entrepreneurship in biotech means accepting that you may never see all the fruits of your work, yet choosing every day to plant the best science and the best leadership in the service of human health. This is the kind of impact worth pursuing in the decade ahead.

Read more: El Economista

Gaceta de Salud has interviewed Marisa Berenguer, CEO of Farmalider and Ideeea Therapeutics, who was recently awarded the Entrepreneur of the Year Prize at the Spanish Association of Women Entrepreneurs Awards for her work on AGAcell—an unprecedented preclinical treatment for androgenetic alopecia that has shown promising results.

Read more: Gaceta de Salud

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are stromal cells which self-renew and differentiate to mesodermal lineages. In addition, their capacity to enhance tissue restoration has made them become a central focus in regenerative applications. Their main positive effects are based on immunomodulation and paracrine factors involved in tissue homeostasis, angiogenesis, wound healing and antiapoptosis. MSCs secrete anti-inflammatory factors such as interleukin 10, transforming growth factor 1 and prostaglandin E2. MSCs also induce regulatory dendritic cells and T cell populations and promote anti-inflammatory macrophage polarization.

According to paracrine activity, MSCs secrete growth factors such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), insulin-like growth factor (IGF), platelet-derived growth factors (PDGF) or fibroblast growth factor (FGF). All of them enhance tissue restoration and their benefits are well known in the treatment of multiple indications.

For these reasons, adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) whose extraction from adipose tissue is less complex than other sources and provides a high cell yield, are being widely researched in the dermatological field, particularly in tissue regeneration, psoriasis, alopecia and skin burns.

Specifically in the treatment of androgenetic alopecia (AGA), SVF derived from adipose tissue and ADSCs derivative products have demonstrated significant improvement in hair density and diameter according to the latest reported outcomes. Growth factors that ADSCs release enhance vascularization and skin regeneration and promote dermal papilla cells functionality, a key population of resident stem cells in the hair follicle. In fact, IGF and FGF are directly involved in the anagen phase, the active growth phase of the hair cycle, when DPCs start proliferating and hair growth onset takes place.

In addition, microinflammation is also one of the etiopathological features of AGA, as evidenced by the lymphocytes and mast cells infiltration around the bulge, an area implicated in the correct hair cycle dynamics. In this context cytokines and anti-inflammatory factors released by ADSCs can immunomodulate the niche and promote the hair cycle restoration.

Given these findings AGAcell® aims to harness all these multiple regenerative benefits and to combine ADSCs with an energy booster intended to enhance their intrinsic potential. Currently AGAcell® is being undergone in a robust preclinical development in order to facilitate its rapid translation into clinical application for AGA subjects.

We at Ideeeatx are committed to its development and excited to lead such a challenging and fulfilling project.

We are pleased to announce that Ideeea Therapeutics has been recognized by Diario El Referente as one of the 15 startups that are redefining the biotech landscape in Spain.

This recognition highlights our contribution to the advancement of advanced therapies (ATMPs) through an innovative, rigorous, and patient-centered approach.

Leading Innovation in Regenerative Dermatology

From Spain, Ideeea Therapeutics researches and develops cutting-edge biotechnological solutions in regenerative dermatology. Our AGAcell® program, focused on the treatment of androgenetic alopecia, continues to advance with the potential to extend to other skin conditions where regenerative medicine can make a meaningful difference.

A Model Based on Open Innovation and Collaboration

We strongly believe in an open innovation model, working closely with hospitals, clinical teams, universities, and strategic partners. This collaborative network enables us to bring advanced biotechnology closer to clinical practice, ensuring scientific excellence, safety, and real-world applicability for patients.

A Recognition That Strengthens Our Vision

Being part of the TOP15 reinforces our mission:
to develop high-impact therapeutic solutions that improve patient health, combining scientific robustness, regulatory rigor, and long-term strategic alliances.

At Ideeea Therapeutics, we remain committed to driving a new generation of advanced therapies that will transform the future of regenerative dermatology.

Read more: El Referente

The Spanish Association of Women Entrepreneurs (ASEME) has recognized Marisa Berenguer, CEO of Ideeea Therapeutics, as Entrepreneur of the Year for the development of AGAcell®, the first cell-based platform under investigation aimed at providing a treatment for androgenetic alopecia. Ideeea Therapeutics is the sponsoring company and holder of the exclusive rights to AGAcell®, the first cell therapy focused on hair regeneration, currently in the preclinical research stage.

Read more: Emprendedores

The Spanish Association of Women Entrepreneurs (ASEME) has recognized Marisa Berenguer, CEO of Ideeea Therapeutics, as Entrepreneur of the Year for the development of AGAcell®, the first cell-based platform currently under investigation aimed at providing a treatment for androgenetic alopecia. Ideeea Therapeutics is the sponsoring company and holder of the exclusive rights to AGAcell®, the first cell therapy focused on hair regeneration, currently in the preclinical research stage.

Read more: Europapress