Aragen, a leading global Contract Research, Development and Manufacturing Organization (CRDMO), announced two senior level appointments. Dr. Manjunath Ramarao has been appointed as the Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) and Executive Vice President, Integrated Drug Discovery (IDD) and will be based in the USA. Jayadeva Sajankila has been appointed as the Vice President and Head, Chemical Development Solutions and will be based in Hyderabad.

As the CSO, Dr. Ramarao will provide scientific leadership, nurture scientific talent, identify new and emerging capabilities and technologies and focus on green science initiatives. He will also lead Aragen’s IDD business and will be responsible for formulation and execution of the IDD strategy with P&L responsibility.  Dr. Ramarao comes with over 25 years of multidisciplinary experience in the global biopharmaceutical research and development. Prior to joining Aragen, he was the CSO at Atomic AI and Ribometrix Inc in the US. He has also held various leadership positions at Bristol Myers Squibb and Wyeth (Pfizer).

Commenting on the appointment, Manni Kantipudi, CEO, Aragen Life Sciences Ltd. said, “Aragen is on a strong growth path and the experience and expertise of Manjunath will further strengthen our position as a partner of choice in the global life sciences marketplace. He has a rich experience in the biopharmaceutical industry and a proven track record of leading transformational change and delivering growth. On behalf of the Board and the entire organization, I welcome Manjunath on board and look forward to his leadership.”

Dr. Manjunath Ramarao said, “I am delighted to take on my new role at Aragen at this exciting stage of its growth journey. Aragen has a strong reputation for customer focus, and I aim to push the boundaries of science to provide innovative solutions to our customers. I look forward to working closely with the Board, the management team and business leaders in leading the company into a new phase of growth.”

Jayadeva joins as the Vice President and Head of Chemical Development Solutions (CDS), one of the largest and critical businesses of Aragen. He will be responsible for driving growth of the CDS business, enhancing operational excellence, and spearheading new technology initiatives to bolster Aragen’s capabilities in small molecules development and manufacturing. He will also oversee client engagement, retention, and growth along with P&L responsibilities for the division. Jayadeva comes with over 26 years of industry experience in Process R&D, Process Safety, Technology Transfer and Commercialization. Prior to joining Aragen, he was the Head of Project & Portfolio Management, Chemical Development at Syngene International Limited, Bangalore.

Dr. Subodh Deshmukh, President – Development and Manufacturing Solutions, Aragen Life Sciences Ltd., said, “I am happy to welcome Jayadeva on board. Aragen’s Development solutions play an important role in transitioning our client projects from Discovery to commercial manufacturing. Jayadeva brings the right skills, experience, and expertise to ensure this smooth transition and help accelerate the molecule’s journey to market.”

Jayadeva Sajankila said, “I am excited to step into my new role at Aragen. My focus will be on driving innovation, operational excellence, and business growth while building a strong, collaborative team. Chemical Development plays a crucial role in taking a molecule to the market, and we will ensure that we stay ahead in three key aspects - technology, delivery, and customer satisfaction.”