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Reshma Kewalramani

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Reshma Kewalramani
Born
Bombay, India
EducationBoston University, B.A./M.D. (1998); Harvard General Management Program (2015)
OccupationCEO of Vertex Pharmaceuticals
Years active1998–present
Known forFirst female CEO of a large US biotech company.

Reshma Kewalramani, is the president and chief executive officer of Vertex Pharmaceuticals, a biotechnology company based in Boston, Massachusetts, as of April 1, 2020.[1][2][3] She is the first female CEO of a large US biotech company.[2] She was previously the chief medical officer and vice president of global medicines development and medical affairs at Vertex.[4][5]

Early life and education

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Kewalramani was born in Bombay, India. She and her family immigrated to the US when she was 11 years old.[6]

She graduated in 1998 from the seven-year liberal arts/medical education program at Boston University,[7] Phi Beta Kappa, Summa Cum Laude.[8] She finished her internship and residency at the Massachusetts General Hospital and her fellowship in nephrology at the Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women's Hospital combined program.[9] After finishing her fellowship in clinical nephrology she did research in transplantation.[8] She graduated from the General Management Program at Harvard Business School in 2015.[4]

Career

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Kewalramani began her career as a physician at Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women's Hospital.[2][4] She was also a physician at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.[8] She then entered the biopharma sector, working for Amgen for over 12 years, where she held leadership positions in research and development.[1] In 2017 she joined Vertex Pharmaceuticals.[2] She assumed the role of president and CEO on April 1, 2020 and is a member of the Vertex Board of Directors.[10]

Since she became CEO, Vertex has developed cystic fibrosis therapy drug Trikafta,[11] APOL1-mediated kidney disease experimental apolipoprotein L1 inhibitor, VX-147,[12][13] and pain programs into the clinic.[14] The company has also partnered with CRISPR Therapeutics to develop gene-editing therapies for the treatment of sickle cell disease and beta thalassemia.[15]

Boards and awards

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Kewalramani is a member of the Massachusetts General Hospital Board of Trustees, the Biomedical Science Careers Program Board[16] and the Boston University School of Medicine Dean's Advisory Board.[17][18] She is also a member of the board of directors of Ginkgo Bioworks,[19] and was on the inaugural board of directors of the Kidney Health Initiative.[20]

She is the recipient of the American College of Physicians Associates Council Award, the American Medical Women's Association Janet M. Glasgow Memorial Achievement Citation, and the Harvard Medical School Excellence in Teaching Award. Kewalramani is also a Fellow of the American Society of Nephrology and received board certification in Internal Medicine in 2001 and in Nephrology in 2003.[8] In 2019, she received the TiE Boston Healthcare Leadership Award,[21] and was named one of Boston Business Journal's Power 50.[22] In 2020, Kewalramani was named to the inaugural Business Leaders List by Indiaspora,[23] Business Insider’s list of 10 people transforming health care,[24] the PharmaVOICE 100 list of leaders in the life sciences,[25] and Boston Business Journal’s list of Women Who Mean Business.[26] In 2021, she was the recipient of the International Institute of New England’s Golden Door Award and was named a New Englander of the Year by the New England Council.[27] In 2023, she was a recipient of the Hope Visionary award at the 26th annual Biomedical Science Careers Program Evening of Hope benefit in recognition of her passion and commitment to the BSCP students and its mission to help minorities and underrepresented individuals achieve their educational and professional goals in STEM fields. Under her leadership as CEO, Vertex was ranked #2 on The Commonwealth Institute’s Top Women-Led Businesses in Massachusetts in 2021.[28] She was named on Fortune's list of Most Powerful Women in 2023.[29]

Personal life

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Kewalramani lives in Massachusetts,[4] and has twin sons.[30]

References

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  1. ^ a b Toy, Sarah. "Vertex Pharmaceuticals names Chief Medical Officer Reshma Kewalramani as new CEO". MarketWatch. Retrieved 2020-03-15.
  2. ^ a b c d "For biotech industry, a milestone: Vertex names woman as president, CEO - The Boston Globe". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved 2020-03-15.
  3. ^ DeAngelis, Allison (2 April 2020). "VERTEX 3.0: One of the area's largest biotechs enters new era of leadership, drug development". BizJournals. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
  4. ^ a b c d Singh, Rishi (August 2019). "Trail-blazing MED Alum to Lead Vertex Pharmaceuticals". Boston University. Retrieved 2020-03-15.
  5. ^ Surdez, Steven (2019-08-27). "These Female Executives Set the Standard of Excellence in the Biohealth Capital Region · BioBuzz". BioBuzz. Retrieved 2020-03-15.
  6. ^ "Alumni Profile: Reshma Kewalramani, MD". Boston University Medicine. Winter 2020: 33–34.
  7. ^ "Boston University Medicine – Winter 2020". Issuu. January 2020. p. 33. Retrieved 2020-03-16.
  8. ^ a b c d "American Society of Nephrology | About ASN - Reshma Kewalramani, MD, FASN". www.asn-online.org. Retrieved 2020-03-15.
  9. ^ ALBANESE, Compiled by GIOVANNI Jr. "Career Briefs: Dr. Deepika Kalisetti Joins Commonwealth Health Physician Network". India West. Retrieved 2020-03-16.
  10. ^ Engl, India New; News (2019-07-25). "Vertex Pharmaceuticals Appoints Dr. Reshma Kewalramani as New CEO". INDIA New England News. Retrieved 2020-03-15. {{cite web}}: |last2= has generic name (help)
  11. ^ Choudhary, Vidhi (10 March 2022). "Vertex Pharma Has a Cystic Fibrosis Drug That Rivals Envy". TheStreet.
  12. ^ Armstrong, Madeleine (1 December 2021). "Vertex finally catches a break". Evaluate Vantage.
  13. ^ Pagliarulo, Ned (22 March 2022). "Vertex plans path to FDA for top drug prospect". BioPharmaDive.
  14. ^ Fidler, Ben (22 September 2021). "This is the time to double down': Top Vertex executives defend research plan as pressure builds". BioPharmaDive.
  15. ^ Garde, Damian (11 June 2021). "A CRISPR treatment for blood diseases shows curative promise in small study". STAT News.
  16. ^ "Leadership". BSCP.com.
  17. ^ "Giving/Board of Trustees". giving.massgeneral.org.
  18. ^ "BUSM Dean's Advisory Board". bumc.bu.edu.
  19. ^ "Vertex CEO Dr. Kewalramani to Join Ginkgo Board". ginkgobioworks.com. Ginkgo Bioworks. 3 August 2021.
  20. ^ "Dr. Reshma Kewalramani named incoming president and CEO of Vertex Pharmaceuticals, former member ASN KHI Board of Directors". Kidney News Online. 26 July 2019.
  21. ^ Reporter, India-West Staff. "TiE Boston Recognizes Entrepreneurs at 2019 Gala: Lifetime Achievement Award for Indian American edX CEO Anant Agarwal". India West. Retrieved 2020-04-05.
  22. ^ "Meet BBJ's Power 50: The region's most influential leaders". www.bizjournals.com. 26 September 2019. Retrieved 2020-04-05.
  23. ^ "2020 Indiaspora Business Leaders List". lists.indiaspora.org. Retrieved 2020-07-12.
  24. ^ Lee, Vivian S. (2020). "100 People Transforming Business in North America". Business Insider.
  25. ^ "PharmaVOICE 100 Who's on the List - By Category". PharmaVOICE. 1 August 2020.
  26. ^ "Here are the BBJ's 2020 Women Who Mean Business honorees". Boston Business Journal. 15 October 2020.
  27. ^ "NEC to Honor Historic All-Female Lineup of 2021 New Englanders of the Year". The New England Council. 2021.
  28. ^ "The 2021 Top 100 Women-Led Businesses". Boston Globe. 5 November 2021.
  29. ^ "Most Powerful Women". Fortune.
  30. ^ "For biotech industry, a milestone: Vertex names woman as president, CEO - The Boston Globe". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved 2020-04-05.
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