Leadership

Dr. S Chandrashekaran

Chairman & Managing Director

Dr. Chandra is the Founding Chairman and Managing Director of Vipragen Biosciences Pvt Ltd., a Pre-clinical drug discovery company situated in Mysore. Chandra has a formidable years of hands-on-experience in successfully running and managing Biotech start-up companies.

He has more than 30 years of experience in the areas of recombinant technologies, Biochemistry, in vitro Biology, Drug Discovery and Biopharma. He founded Enzene Biosciences Ltd., a Biopharma R&D company and was instrumental in setting up Biologics (including Peptides, rDNA drugs and monoclonal antibody) platform and took a couple of Biosimilars to clinical studies, and several to Pre-clinical stage successfully. An aggressive value creator and 30X serial entrepreneur who is currently front-ending Vipragen.

Dr. Chaitra Harsha

Joint Managing Director

Dr. Chaitra is a Medical Graduate (MBBS) and PhD from Indian Institute of science, Bengaluru. She holds MPWE (Management Program for Women Entrepreneurs) from NSRCL for Entrepreneurship, IIM, Bengaluru. She is a serial entrepreneur, with two successfully executed ventures in healthcare and education. Her contribution in the healthcare space is vast and currently she is a Joint Managing Director of Vipragen team.

With excellent academic credentials and a proficient management skill set through centers of excellence of global reputation, Dr Chaitra Harsha has emerged as a thought leader in the areas of Healthcare and Biotechnology.

Dr. V. V. Vaidyanathan

Head Discovery Services

An alumnus of IISc, Bangalore, Dr. Vaidyanathan has over 28 years of experience in academic research (MHH Hannover, Germany; NCI, Bethesda, USA), pharma industry (Astra India) & CRO (Aurigene & Syngene International). He has participated in many small molecule discovery programs such as Infectious Diseases (TB), Apoptosis (Caspase-3), Oncology (PARP inhibitors, ADC), Inflammation (Sepsis) and Metabolic disorders (Diabetes/Obesity) thus gaining in-depth experience in key aspects of discovery research such as screening, DMPK and Pharmacology models. His vast experience in biological research enables Vipragen to provide customized solutions to clients to accelerate discovery programs.

He is a recipient of the prestigious Alexander Humboldt Fellowship and is a Fogerty International Fellow at NIH, Bethesda, USA.

Dr. Pradeep Takawale

Head – Preclinical Services and TFM

Dr. Pradeep Takawale, a veterinarian by education, holds a master’s degree in veterinary pharmacology and toxicology from Chandra Shekhar Azad university Kanpur, India. He has more than 20 years of experience in the field of general toxicology, reproductive and developmental toxicology (DART), juvenile toxicology and pharmacokinetics. He has authored 175+ regulatory toxicity study reports of various study types as per the relevant international guidelines for regulatory submissions.

In the last 20 years, he has served various organizations like JRF global India, CiToxLAB Scantox Denmark, Zydus Cadila India, Ranbaxy India and Eurofins BSL Bio service Munich Germany and contributed to the progress of these organizations.

Mr. Ramakrishna Dasoju

AVP Business Development

Ramakrishna Dasoju, known as Ram, has forged a dynamic and successful career marked by diverse experiences in preclinical research, project management, and business development. Armed with a postgraduate degree in Biotechnology and an MBA, Ram is currently pursuing a Business Management degree from IIM, Kozhikode.

Ramakrishna embarked on his professional journey as a preclinical research scientist at NIN, ICMR, Hyderabad, and has since made significant contributions to various organizations. His roles at Virchow Biotech and NATCO Pharma involved overseeing animal facilities, conducting toxicology studies, and submitting reports to regulatory authorities. During his tenure at Vimta Labs, he played a pivotal role in achieving AAALAC and GLP certification for the preclinical department while serving as a member-secretary-IAEC.

Joining Dabur Research Foundation in 2011, Ramakrishna dedicated over a decade to the organization, excelling in project management and business development for discovery preclinical services. With a global perspective, he successfully managed mid-term and long-term projects across the US, Europe, and the Middle East. Venturing into AI/ML data analytics-based solutions at Excelra, Ramakrishna managed projects, pre-sales, and business development, showcasing versatility in navigating cutting-edge technologies.

In his current capacity as the Head of Global Business Development at Vipragen, Ram is instrumental in steering the company towards new horizons. Focused on expanding business both domestically and internationally, his strategic approach aims to foster long-term collaborations in the Pharma, Biopharma, and Nutraceutical sectors. Ramakrishna is leading the charge in repositioning Vipragen, leveraging advanced strategies and utilizing technology to drive the company from innovation to transformation. His goal is to make a substantial impact on the entire CRO value chain across sectors, elevating Vipragen to new heights.

Mr. Saravanan Muthaiah

AVP Techno commercial Sales

Saravanan is Post Graduate (M.Sc Biochemistry) from Bharathidasan University, PG Diploma in Bioinformatics and possessing 21 years total experience in academic as well regulatory toxicology. He has vast experience in designing toxicology studies for GRAS, REACh, EFSA, IND, ECHA, NDA, ANDA, RCGM, DCGI submission. He also has vast experience of handling AAALAC, NGCMA, DTL, NABL and Sponsor audits. Presently he is the Deputy Test Facility Management possessing Techno-commercial outlook as technical engagements with International clients and the relevant regulatory requirements. With serving over many years in Vipragen Saravanan has been key in establishing the in-silico platform at Vipragen.

Mr. Ashok Malavali

Vice President Business Development – North America

"Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Ashok Malavalli, serving as the Vice President of Business Development, North America, brings a wealth of experience to the role. With a career spanning over three decades in academia and the pharmaceutical industry, he boasts more than 20 years of leadership in pharmaceutical R&D and CMC operations. Also, he possesses extensive expertise in ICH & cGMP.

Ashok is the founder and president of Spectra Bio Labs, a pharmaceutical research organization based in San Diego, CA, USA, he is well-positioned to spearhead Vipragen’s business development strategies and partnerships in North America.