Raj Devraj, President & CEO - Rectify Pharma, on Drug Discovery, Biotech Breakthroughs & Growth

Synopsis: How do you build a biotech company that disrupts drug discovery and delivers real impact? In this episode of Biotech 2050, host Rahul Chaturvedi speaks with Raj Devraj, President & CEO of Rectify Pharmaceuticals and Venture Partner at Atlas Venture. Raj shares his journey from big pharma to biotech entrepreneurship, the science behind Rectify’s groundbreaking approach to drugging membrane proteins, and how his team is tackling rare hepatobiliary diseases with small-molecule therapies. He also dives deep into biotech innovation, smart capital strategy, M&A trends, and the power of hiring the right talent. Whether you’re a biotech founder, investor, or science enthusiast, this episode is packed with insights on building, funding, and scaling a biotech startup in today’s competitive landscape. Biography: Rajesh (Raj) Devraj, Ph.D., is President and Chief Executive Officer of Rectify Pharma and a Venture Partner at Atlas Venture. Throughout his career, he has been focused on creating and building groundbreaking biotech companies. Prior to Rectify, Raj co-founded Disarm Therapeutics with Atlas and served as its Chief Scientific Officer prior to its acquisition. Before Disarm, he served as Chief Scientific Officer of Atlas-founded Padlock Therapeutics. Prior to his tenure at Atlas, Raj served in senior executive roles at Euclises & Deciphera Pharmaceuticals and at Jubilant Life Sciences. In addition, Raj spent 14 years in positions of increasing responsibility with Pfizer Global R&D and the legacy Pharmacia and Searle companies. Raj also serves on the boards of directors for several biotech companies. Over a 25-year career in large pharma and biotech, Raj has led discovery, early clinical development, and strategic planning teams that have advanced multiple candidates into clinical trials for refractory cancers, autoimmune diseases, IPF, diabetic nephropathy, COPD, and pain. Raj received his B.S. in Pharmacy from the University of Mumbai, and Ph.D. in Medicinal Chemistry from Duquesne University.