Pharmaceutics Graduate Seminar
Akhilesh Bhambhani, Ph.D.
Vice President, Global CMC Development, Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc.
Seminar Title: “The Tightrope of Pharmaceutical CMC: Delivering Quality Product while Embracing Transformative Innovation”
PBB 229
Friday October 3, 2025, from 12:15 pm – 1:30 pm
Akhilesh Bhambhani, Ph.D. is Vice President of Global CMC Development at Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc., where he leads the development of therapeutic interventions for rare diseases across a range of modalities, including small molecules, antisense oligonucleotides, monoclonal antibodies, enzymes, mRNA, and AAV-based platforms. His work integrates regulatory strategy, process innovation, and phase-appropriate development to advance both clinical and commercial programs.
In addition to his industry role, Dr. Bhambhani is a Professor of Practice (Gratis) in the Department of Pharmaceutics at the University of Connecticut (Storrs, CT). He serves on the Board of Directors at BioTechnique®, a specialized sterile injectable biopharmaceutical manufacturing facility (York, PA), and is a member of the Editorial Advisory Board for the Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences. He maintains an active research affiliation with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. He also serves as President of the East Coast Chapter of ISFLD, a nonprofit organization dedicated to pharmaceutical sciences.
Prior to joining Ultragenyx, Dr. Bhambhani held leadership roles at Merck & Co., Inc., where he directed multidisciplinary teams focused on patient-centric drug product development. He has delivered invited lectures at the U.S. FDA, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, and multiple academic institutions including Purdue University, University of Connecticut, University of Massachusetts, and MIT.
Dr. Bhambhani is the author of over 50 patents and peer-reviewed publications, with contributions spanning vaccine and therapeutic development for products such as Keytruda®, Gardasil®, IL-23 inhibitors, Varivax®, MMR, Zostavax®, and ProQuad®. His current research and development efforts focus on advancing treatments for rare bone and central nervous system disorders, while supporting commercial programs addressing inborn errors of metabolism.
For more information, contact: Reena Bokria at rjb07003@uconn.edu