Team leaders in product development and analytical services

Mirja Savolainen
Director, R&D and Analytical services

Mirja Savolainen joined Medfiles in 1997. She started as a laboratory manager in the microbiological laboratory, establishing the service area and developing it further. After 10 years in that position, Mirja moved on to lead the entire R&D and Analytical Services Unit, which today employs 70 technicians and experts.

Mirja graduated from the University of Eastern Finland with a Master of Science degree in biochemistry. Before Medfiles, Mirja worked in various teaching positions at the University of Eastern Finland, microbiology as her main subject.

During her long career as a business unit director, Mirja has also acted as the responsible director (GMP) of Medfiles for ten years. From 2007 to 2012, she also held the position of occupational safety manager. Furthermore, Mirja has been active in marketing and sales as well as in strategic planning, as a member of the management team. During the years, Mirja has gained extensive experience in leading the business in the GMP-regulated area and providing services for the pharmaceutical industry in Europe and beyond.

Minna Heiskanen
Head of Service Performance, R&D and Analytical services

Minna Heiskanen has worked for Medfiles since 2011. She started as an R&D scientist specialising in industrialisation and product maintenance activities supporting client’s operations. After two years, she moved to lead the R&D and Product Maintenance Team, consisting of nine pharmaceutical experts, for nine years.

Along with leading the team, she has been a key person in establishing clinical manufacturing service to extend Medfiles’ service portfolio. In her current position as Head of Service Performance, she is developing the client experience in R&D and Analytical Services Unit.

She graduated from the University of Kuopio, Finland, with a M.Sc. in Pharmacy specialising in pharmaceutical technology. Prior to her work at Medfiles, she has worked in various positions within the pharmaceutical industry for eight years.

She has gained wide expertise in the pharmaceutical field during her career. A keen understanding of the big picture is her strength which can be well utilised when discovering the cooperation possibilities with and for clients.

Jukka Ilkka
Scientific advisor, Production Manager

Jukka Ilkka joined Medfiles in 1997 and started to work in pharmaceutical product development, a whole new service area of the company at the time. Starting from practical development tasks for early clinical development, the projects have expanded over the years to such versatile projects as comprehensive generic development projects to studies on specific pharmaceutical or technological issues of existing client products.

Currently, as a senior member of the pharmaceutical development team, Jukka has ample opportunity to participate in highly varying customer projects and assignments and brings considerable experience to share. Since 2018 following the start of a new service, namely, manufacturing of investigational medicinal products, Jukka has also been responsible for small scale, GMP licensed clinical manufacturing.

Jukka graduated from the University of Kuopio, Finland, with M.Sc. in Pharmacy specialising in pharmaceutical technology, where solid dosage forms, especially tablets, tableting process, equipment and technology were the focus. During the academic years and early career, working with tablet machine instrumentation gave broad experience on tableting science and development.

Jukka has gathered experience especially on solid dosage and process development and, thereby, brings perspective to the consideration and examination of practical technological solutions with scientific rationale in pharmaceutical development matters.

Tuija Happonen
Head of Operations, R&D and Analytical Services​

Tuija Happonen started at Medfiles in 2001 as a chemist. Tuija was hired as the second scientist to develop the functions and quality of the chemical laboratory, as well as to expand the services of the chemical laboratory. After 12 years, the laboratory functions had grown so much that they were divided, and Tuija started as the second laboratory manager. A few years later, Tuija was appointed as the laboratory manager for the entire laboratory unit.

In 2022, as the laboratory unit continued to grow strongly, Tuija became the supervisor of new managers with the title Head of Operations in the R&D and Analytics unit. In her current role, she is responsible for the unit’s resources, internal laboratory functions, development, and contributes to the unit’s results.

Tuija graduated in 2018 from the University of Jyväskylä with an M.Sc. in organic chemistry, and she also has pedagogical studies and qualifications to work in teaching positions. Before joining Medfiles, she worked at Orion Oy’s quality control laboratory in Espoo as a chemist, specialising in inhalation products. Additionally, before and after graduation, Tuija worked as a laboratory assistant at Xyrofin Oy in Kotka and at Cultor’s technology centre in Kantvik.

With over 20 years of experience as a chemist and laboratory manager, Tuija has strong knowledge of the GMP quality system, laboratory function development, and managerial tasks. Tuija holds a strong desire and bold vision to develop and automate laboratory functions as well as strive for profitable business while meeting GMP requirements.

Sanna Jäntti
R&D Manager, R&D and Analytical services

Sanna Jäntti started at Medfiles in 2011 as a chemist and was first responsible for chemical analyses of various pharmaceutical forms. Analytical method development, validation and method transfers have been a significant part of her daily tasks. In 2017, her responsibilities were expanded when Sanna also became Team Leader of the method development team, and from 2019 she was appointed as Validation Specialist.

At the beginning of 2022, Sanna has started as R&D Manager serving as supervisor to her team members, with her main responsibilities being resource allocation and scheduling, resolving of technical issues, collaboration with clients for upcoming R&D projects, and preparing offer proposals as well as invoicing.

Sanna graduated from University of Jyväskylä with Ph.Lic. in applied chemistry specialising in different types of analytical methods. Before joining Medfiles she worked under GMP with gene therapy products as manufacturing development scientist.

Sanna has strong experience in chromatographic methods and is therefore able to support Medfiles’ scientists and clients with activities related to analytical issues. Improving processes and continuous development of daily practices are also within Sanna’s field of expertise.

Sirpa Metsärinne
Laboratory Manager

Sirpa Metsärinne has worked for Medfiles since 2011. She started as a chemist in the inhalation laboratory supporting clients’ R&D projects and product maintenance activities. Sirpa participated in developing analytical services for inhalation products, and operations within that field grew rapidly thereby allowing the service to be expanded in also covering release testing. During 2017-2021 Sirpa was Team Leader of the inhalation team consisting of over 15 technicians and several scientists.

In her current position as Laboratory Manager Sirpa is leading all quality control analytics both in chemistry and microbiology laboratories, and she is the supervisor of scientists in QC operations. In her daily work, she is responsible for optimising resource allocation to support ongoing analytical activities.

Sirpa graduated from University of Kuopio and obtained a PhD degree in the field of applied environmental chemistry. Before joining Medfiles, she worked as a research scientist in Orion Pharma’s inhalation R&D laboratory and in the analytical laboratory of the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health.

She is committed to ensuring the smooth and effective functioning of the laboratory and managing resources efficiently to meet project deadlines and client expectations.

Eero Strandman
Senior Business Development Manager​

Eero Strandman joined Medfiles in 1997. He started as a laboratory manager in the analytical laboratory, establishing and developing that service area. Little by little, as the operation grew, the proportion of client contacts and communication increased along with daily laboratory management. In 2018, Eero moved to full-time sales and marketing of laboratory services.

Eero graduated from University of Turku with M.Sc. in Biochemistry, with a specialization in food chemistry. Before starting at Medfiles, he worked approximately 10 years at Orion Pharma, mainly in inhalation laboratory. He has also worked in the food industry and environmental laboratory, as well as completing pedagogical studies. During his long career in laboratories, Eero has acquired knowledge of different quality systems, GMP and ISO 9001. 

After working such a long time in business development and in pharmaceuticals, the cooperation network has expanded, and the understanding of customers’ needs has increased. The best part of the job is to meet the customers and think about cooperation possibilities together.