Celebrating Women in Bio

Written by Kimo Sanderson

From R&D to leadership roles, women are making significant contributions across the biopharma landscape. They drive innovation and progress in an industry that touches the lives of millions. These trailblazers not only bring new perspectives and solutions to complex challenges, but inspire the next-generation of women to pursue careers in science, technology, and medicine.

Join us as we celebrate the incredible women who are shaping the future of biopharma.

The school building has five plaques for physicians in women’s health. Four are filled, but the fifth is still awaiting a future scientist who develops a cure for preeclampsia; perhaps, Dr. August.

“Obstetrics and gynecology has been a field where there has been potentially less true innovation,” Dr. August said. “If you look at the way that preeclamptic patients are managed today, as compared with 100 years ago, it really hasn’t changed.” She is now focused on developing a treatment for preterm preeclampsia in her CMO role at Comanche Biopharma.

Comanche won the FDA’s fast track designation last year for its Phase 1 lead candidate, an siRNA investigational drug injected into patients.

Globally, preeclampsia causes around 80,000 maternal and more than 500,000 fetal and newborn deaths each year. Mortality rates due to preeclampsia in maternal women are rising in the US, says August, due in part to rising rates of general hypertension and diabetes, which can go hand in hand with preeclampsia.

Obstetrics and gynecology has been a field where there has been potentially less true innovation … it really hasn’t changed.

Dr. Kewalramani has dedicated her career to improving the lives of patients through the development of new medicines. After spending 12 years at Amgen, Dr. Kewalramani joined Vertex in 2017 as its Senior VP of late development before succeeding then-Chief Medical Officer in 2018. That year, Vertex scored expanded approvals for its cystic fibrosis drugs ORKAMBI^®and SYMDEKO^®.

In 2019, the FDA approved Vertex’s drug TRIKAFTA^®, which is expected to extend and improve the quality of life for cystic fibrosis patients. Since being under her leadership, Vertex has partnered with CRISPR Therapeutics to develop gene-editing therapies for the treatment of sickle cell disease and beta thalassemia. Dr. Kewalramani is a committed supporter of biomedical innovation, the next-gen of scientists, and her community. She serves on Year Up’s national board of directors, the Biomedical Science Careers Program’s board of directors, the Massachusetts General Hospital board of trustees and the Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Dean’s Advisory Board.

Dr. Kewalramani has dedicated her career to improving the lives of patients through the development of new medicines.

The recipient of the 2024 Cell Therapies Award at ECI’s Advancing Manufacture of Cell and Gene Therapies VIII, Dr. Alves has been working in the advancement of cell culture technologies for over 30 years.

Her research integrates cell metabolism understanding with biochemical engineering tools for the improvement of bioprocesses efficiency. Dr. Alves’s work has contributed to the development of industrially relevant and academically recognized tools and technologies for production of biopharmaceuticals and Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMPs), specifically the pluripotent stem cells and viral vectors for cell & gene therapy. 

Dr. Alves has been a Member of the Portuguese Academy of Engineering since October 2024 and was recognized in 2017 as one of the 100 Top Portuguese Women Scientists by Ciência Viva.

Dr. Alves’s work has contributed to the development of industrially relevant and academically recognized tools and technologies for production of biopharmaceuticals and ATMPs.