Hipul Rao is a distinguished professional serving as the Sr. Director of the Analytical Department at GBI Biomanufacturing, where he orchestrates a dynamic team of scientists across various disciplines, including Protein Characterization, Quality Control, and Microbiology. With over 22 years of invaluable executive experience in the Bio/Pharmaceutical industry, Hipul is a seasoned expert at the forefront of advancing drug discovery, design, developability, and cell line development.
In his role, Hipul is the driving force behind GBI’s technical analytical strategy, overseeing the entire spectrum of the GBI Biomanufacturing portfolio from early development to commercial production. His responsibilities encompass a wide array of critical functions, including protein characterization, process optimization support, complex method developments, technology transfer, quality control, phase-appropriate qualification/validations, API release, in-process, finished product, and stability sample analysis End-to-End products pipelines. He plays a pivotal role in ensuring GBI’s strong innovation focus and scientific expertise depth are maintained, fostering technological developments, and collaborating closely with clients to design and deliver solutions that align with their program needs.
Prior to his current role at GBI, Hipul held several key executive positions in the biotech/pharmaceutical industry, illustrating a career marked by consistent growth and impactful contributions. He served as the Head of Analytical at Abzena, Director and Head of Quality Operation at AAA Pharmaceutical, Scientific Portfolio Manager, and Quality Technical Services at Merck, Director of Quality at SPHBio Therapeutics USA, Sr. Scientist/Group Lead in Research & Development at Bio-Pharma/Torrent Pharma, Sr. Scientist in CMC (Technical Services) at Takeda Pharma USA/Sun Pharma, and Scientist in Quality Control/Technical Services at URL Pharma (United Research Laboratory/Mutual Pharmaceutical).
Hipul is widely recognized as a Subject Matter Expert in advanced analytical techniques, excelling in implementing platform approaches to expedite the analytical process for IND/NDA filings. Throughout his illustrious career, he has consistently applied innovative solutions to design, manufacture, and clinically evaluate novel products, spanning vaccines, biologics, and small molecules across diverse therapeutic modalities such as inflammation, cancer, infectious diseases, and cardiovascular diseases.
In terms of education, Hipul holds a post-graduation in Medical Laboratory Technology from IBMS and a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from North Gujarat University, India. His unwavering commitment to excellence, coupled with his extensive experience, positions him as a driving force in shaping the future of analytical sciences within the pharmaceutical landscape.
