Vyome Biosciences Pvt Ltd, a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing dermatology products and skin care products, has inducted Ranjan Pai to its board. Pai, the chief of Manipal Education & Medical Group, is also behind Aarin Capital, an existing investor in Vyome.
“The globalisation and expansion of the Manipal Education and Medical Group through his strategic vision is an experience that will serve Vyome in good stead as the company looks abroad for development and licensing opportunities,” said N Venkat, co-founder & CEO, Vyome Biosciences.
Pai said, “Vyome is proving to be a serious innovative player in the life sciences industry and holds a special place in Aarin’s portfolio. I am looking forward to working more closely with the rest of the board, Shiladitya, Venkat and the rest of their team as the company breaks new ground in markets both in India and abroad.”
The company has also hired Richard Buchta, former head of GlaxoSmithKline’s dermatology unit Stiefel Laboratories in Australia as senior vice-president of R&D.
Vyome is focused on the development of therapeutics for hard to treat and refractory dermatology diseases. It has completed clinical research on two products and two lead compounds are in preclinical stage of USFDA programme.
The company was set up in August 2010 by Shiladitya Sengupta of Harvard Medical School, Rajesh Gokhale of Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology and Rajeev Mantri, an executive director at early-stage investor Navam Capital. Mantri is also the president of Vyome. Last year it brought on board N Venkat as promoter, co-founder and CEO of the company. Venkat is a former CEO of Emami and has also served as president of Shantha Biotechnics.
Earlier this year, it closed Series B financing round of funding worth $8 million (Rs 48 crore) led by Sabre Partners, with participation of existing investors Kalaari Capital and Aarin Capital.
In November 2010, Vyome raised $1 million from Navam Capital. It later raised $3.35 million from Kalaari Capital, Navam Capital and Aarin Capital in 2012 in its Series A round.
(Edited by Joby Puthuparampil Johnson)