Pierre-Olivier Farenq is a qualified pharmacist, holding a diploma in hospital pharmacy and a master’s degree in market access and health economics. His career combines regulatory expertise, crisis management, and health product access strategy.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, he served as head of the testing unit at the French Ministry of Health. In late 2022, he joined the french national medicines agency (ANSM) as Director of the Crisis Support Center (CASAR), where he led efforts to manage drug shortages, coordinate health alerts, and secure supply chains. His work helped develop supply monitoring tools and seasonal preparedness plans in collaboration with public and industry stakeholders.

Since September 2025, he has been Director of Europe and Innovation at ANSM, overseeing pharmaceutical innovation strategies, clinical research attractiveness initiatives, and European coordination with the European Medicines Agency (EMA).