Durgaprasad Annavajjula
About Durgaprasad Annavajjula
Durgaprasad Annavajjula is an experienced leader in the pharmaceutical industry, specializing in the development and commercialization of a wide range of therapeutic products.
Title at Current Company
Durgaprasad Annavajjula currently holds the title of Vice President, Head of Program Management & Chief of Staff. He has utilized his extensive industry knowledge to oversee various functions and developments within the company. This includes leading cross-functional teams to ensure successful project implementations and product advancements.
Leadership Experience in Product Development
Durgaprasad Annavajjula boasts over 30 years of leadership experience in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. He has led product development across multiple therapeutic areas, including metabolic disorders, diabetes, bone health, oncology (cell therapy), infectious diseases (traditional vaccine development), wound healing, and ophthalmic diseases. His expertise spans from early-stage development to late-stage development and commercialization.
Educational Background and Research Endeavors
Durgaprasad Annavajjula pursued his doctorate in synthetic organic chemistry at the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology in Hyderabad, India. Subsequently, he continued his research at prestigious institutions such as the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, USA, and the University of North Texas in Denton, USA. His academic and research background has significantly contributed to his professional prowess in the field.
Professional Tenures and Contributions
Durgaprasad Annavajjula's recent professional tenures include serving as Chief Technology Officer at Tactiva Therapeutics, where he developed strategies for TCR-based cell therapies aimed at treating solid tumors. He also held the position of Senior Vice President, Research & Development at Stelis Biopharma, India, leading the design and construction of manufacturing facilities for biosimilar products. At Kemwell, he served as Sr. Vice President, and at Biovel Life Sciences (Ranbaxy), he was Technical Director, focusing on generic formulations and vaccines.
Industrial and Research Roles
Throughout his career, Durgaprasad Annavajjula has occupied various industrial and research roles. These include work at Infimed Therapeutics on hydrogel-based sustained delivery formulations of biologicals, and at Collagen Corporation as a Senior Scientist developing collagen-based medical devices for tissue augmentation. He also worked at Stanford Research Institute (SRI) modifying polymers for industrial applications.