İrfan Koç
Born in 1953, İrfan Koç stepped into the pharmaceutical industry in 1979. In 1987, he founded Onko İlaç with 100% domestic capital.
Guided by the principle of always serving Turkish medicine without compromising on ethics, and driven by the pursuit of innovative solutions in line with the sector’s needs, he became the first to introduce blood products to Türkiye.
In 1995, Koçsel İlaç joined the group as a sister company. In 2010, he laid the foundations of Türkiye’s first and only state-of-the-art pharmaceutical manufacturing facility for high-potency products. In 2014, he was honored with the “Best Investment” award for this project, and in 2017, the facility became one of the country’s leading plants, with all production lines certified by EU GMP.
As one of the pioneers in the industry who has realized many firsts, İrfan Koç established Türkiye’s most advanced and comprehensive oncology R&D laboratory to develop processes and manufacture high-potency pharmaceutical dosage forms that are either produced in limited quantities or not manufactured at all in Türkiye. This R&D laboratory also became the first GMP-licensed oncology R&D center in Türkiye authorized to manufacture products, officially certified by the Ministry of Science, Industry and Technology in 2015.
While sharing his 40 years of industry experience, which has brought the companies to where they are today, our founder İrfan Koç states:
“I feel the excitement and pride of bringing to our country a significant facility that will address the shortage in cancer medicines by making a large and important investment worthy of our country’s growing and strengthening new vision. Thanks to this facility and R&D Center we established with 100% domestic capital, we have reached the technology and capability to compete with global pharmaceutical companies producing oncology drugs both domestically and abroad, with the new oncology products we will develop as a Turkish company. Onko Koçsel Pharmaceuticals not only reduces Türkiye’s foreign dependency but also has the capacity to fully meet the country’s needs in the oncology field with its high production capacity. In today’s world, I am aware of the importance of high-tech manufacturing for sustainable growth. Guided by a production approach that respects people and nature, I made this high-tech investment to contribute to our country’s economy. We must all make every effort to strengthen our nation’s economy. We must continue our efforts with faith to invest in science and healthcare in order to serve human health and enhance our country’s reputation through advanced technology applications."
İrfan Koç, the founder of the companies, currently serves as the Chairman of the Board of Onko Koçsel Pharmaceuticals.
Tuğçe Koç
General Manager
After being born and raised in Istanbul, Tuğçe Koç moved to Ankara for her studies and graduated with honors from the Department of Biology at Middle East Technical University.
She then continued her education at the University of Miami, earning her MBA and Master’s degree in International Business, both with honors.
Her professional career began in 2006 with an internship at Yale University. In 2007, she joined the Board of Directors of Onko Koçsel Pharmaceuticals. Since then, she has been serving as the General Manager of the departments operating under the General Coordination unit of the company.
Tuğçe Koç is a member of TÜSİAD (Turkish Industry and Business Association), DEİK (Foreign Economic Relations Board), the Turkish American Business Association (TABA/AmCham), and the Pembe İzler Foundation.
Sezen Tuğba Koç
General Manager
Born in Istanbul, Sezen Tuğba Koç graduated with honors from the University of Miami in 2004, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering with a minor in Mathematics. She continued her postgraduate studies at the same university, completing her Master’s degrees in Industrial Engineering and Management in 2005.
Her professional career began in the United States in 2006, where she provided consultancy services to three different companies and projects. She also completed internships in the Marketing and Production departments at Roche Pharmaceuticals.
In 2008, she joined the Board of Directors of Onko Koçsel Pharmaceuticals. Since then, she has been serving as General Manager, responsible for the company’s Marketing, Sales, and Production operations.
Sezen Tuğba Koç is an active business leader and a member of TÜSİAD, DEİK, the Kocaeli Women Entrepreneurs Association, and the Pembe İzler Foundation. She previously served as Chair of the Occupational Committee at the Kocaeli Chamber of Industry and continues to serve as a Member of the Chamber Assembly. In addition, she actively contributes to the initiatives of the Kocaeli Medical and Agricultural Chemicals Group Committee.
