Janakiraman Ramachandran

Following 16 years on the Faculty of the University of California, San Francisco (Hormone Research Laboratory and the Dept. of Biochemistry & Biophysics), Prof. Ramachandran was recruited by Genentech, Inc. in 1984 where he pioneered the molecular cloning and expression of several important cell surface receptors (including the human insulin receptor). In 1988, he became Vice President of Research at Neurex Corporation in Menlo Park, California and spearheaded the development of highly selective neuronal calcium channel antagonists derived from the venoms of marine, fish-eating cone snails. SNX-111, a synthetic conopeptide with three disulfide bonds was shown to be highly effective in suppressing chronic intractable pain in cancer patients. Clinical trials including two pivotal phase III trials were completed successfully and SNX-111 received approval from the FDA in 2004 under the name Prialt. Dr. Ramachandran began his association with AB Astra(AstraZeneca in 1998) in 1986 as Director of Astra Research Centre India in Bangalore and has been responsible for Astra’s R & D activities in India. During his tenure with Astra and AstraZeneca, he established state-of the art R & D programs for discovering and developing novel therapies for the treatment of tuberculosis and antibiotic resistant infection. He started GangaGen in 2000 for the discovery and development of novel phage derived therapies for the prevention and treatment of antibiotic-resistant infection, including lysis-deficient phages and Tail Associated Muralytic Enzymes. P 128, GangaGen’s first product for the control of Staph aureus including MRSA, has completed Phase II clinical trials. P128 has shown very promising therapeutic effects in the control of bacteremia due to Staph.