Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, (born 23 March 1953, Bangalore, India) is an Indian
entrepreneur. She is the chairman and managing director of Biocon Limited, a biotechnology company based in Bangalore (Bengaluru), India and the current chairperson of IIM-Bangalore. In 2014, she was awarded the Othmer Gold Medal, for outstanding contributions to the progress of science and chemistry. She is on the Financial Times’ top 50 women in business list. As of 2015, she was listed as the 85th most powerful woman in the world by Forbes.
Mazumdar-Shaw's belief in "affordable innovation" has been a driving philosophy behind Biocon's expansion. Inspired by the need for affordable drugs in less-wealthy countries, she has looked for opportunities to develop cost-effective techniques and lower-cost alternatives. She has also proposed that drug companies be cost-sensitive in marketing to developing countries, so that people can afford the drugs they need, particularly chronic therapies.
Mazumdar-Shaw noticed the market potential for statins (cholesterol fighting drugs) early on. When the patent of the cholesterol-lowering drug lovastatin expired in 2001, Biocon got involved in its development. Then they expanded to other forms of statins. Part of her strategy was to enter into long-term supply contracts, establishing a dependable market base over time. Statins soon accounted for over 50 per cent of the company's revenue. The company’s revenue went up from Rs. 70 crore in 1998, to Rs. 500 crore in 2004 when it went public.
Biocon continues to expand into new areas. Yeast expression platforms offer a desirable alternative to mammalian cell cultures for the genetic manipulation of cells for use in a variety of drug treatments. Unicellular methylotrophic yeasts such as Pichia pastoris are used in the production of vaccines, antibody fragments, hormones, cytokines, matrix proteins, and biosimilars.
Biocon's major areas of research now include cancer, diabetes, and other auto-immune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis. Because of the high percentage of people in India who chew betel or tobacco, India accounts for eighty-six per cent of oral cancer in the world, known locally as "cancer cheek". Diabetes is prevalent, and people who do not wear shoes are at risk to have a minor scrape or injury develop into gangrene, or "diabetes foot". Biocon is also working on drugs to treat psoriasis, a skin pigment disease which can result in social ostracization.
Bio-pharmaceuticals developed include Pichia-derived recombinant human insulin and insulin analogs for diabetes, an Anti-EGFR monoclonal antibody for head and neck cancer, and a biologic for psoriasis. Biocon is Asia's largest insulin producer, and has the largest perfusion-based antibody production facilities.
As of 2014, Biocon directed about 10% of its revenue back into research and development, a much higher proportion than most Indian pharmacological companies. Biocon has filed at least 950 patent applications as a result of its research activity. Mazumdar-Shaw has actively engaged in acquisitions, partnerships and in-licensing within the pharmaceuticals and bio-pharmaceutical area, entering into more than 2,200 high-value R&D licensing and other deals between 2005 and 2010.
Mazumdar-Shaw is the recipient of several prestigious international awards including the Othmer Gold Medal (2014) for outstanding contributions to the progress of science and chemistry, the Nikkei Asia Prize (2009) for Regional Growth, the ‘Veuve Clicquot Initiative For Economic Development For Asia' Award (2007), Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award for Life Sciences & Healthcare (2002), and 'Technology Pioneer' recognition by World Economic Forum (2002). On 05/05/2015 Federation University Australia (Formerly known as University of Ballarat) named a road in Mt Helen campus as Mazumdar Drive . Kiran and Shaw together attended the opening function and cut the rippon.
Kiran Mazumdar was born to Gujarati parents in Bangalore, India.[ She went to school at Bangalore’s Bishop Cotton Girl's High School, graduating in 1968. She then attended Mount Carmel College, Bangalore, a women's college offering pre-university courses as an affiliate of Bangalore University. She studied biology and zoology, graduating from Bangalore University with a B.Sc. in Zoology in 1973.
Her father, Rasendra Mazumdar, was the head brewmaster at United Breweries. He suggested that Kiran study fermentation science, and train to be a brewmaster, a very nontraditional field for a woman. Mazumdar went to Federation University (Formerly known as University of Ballarat) in Australia to study Malting and Brewing. In 1974 she was the only woman enrolled in the brewing course, and the top of her class. She earned the degree of Master Brewer in 1975.
She worked as a trainee brewer in Carlton and United Breweries, Melbourne and as a trainee maltster at Barrett Brothers and Burston, Australia. She also worked for some time as a technical consultant at Jupiter Breweries Limited, Calcutta and as a technical manager at Standard Maltings Corporation, Baroda between 1975 and 1977. However, when she investigated the possibility of further work in Bangalore or Delhi, she was told that she would not be hired as a master brewer in India because "It's a man's work." She began to look abroad, and was offered a position in Scotland.
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| Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw |
Mazumdar-Shaw's belief in "affordable innovation" has been a driving philosophy behind Biocon's expansion. Inspired by the need for affordable drugs in less-wealthy countries, she has looked for opportunities to develop cost-effective techniques and lower-cost alternatives. She has also proposed that drug companies be cost-sensitive in marketing to developing countries, so that people can afford the drugs they need, particularly chronic therapies.
Mazumdar-Shaw noticed the market potential for statins (cholesterol fighting drugs) early on. When the patent of the cholesterol-lowering drug lovastatin expired in 2001, Biocon got involved in its development. Then they expanded to other forms of statins. Part of her strategy was to enter into long-term supply contracts, establishing a dependable market base over time. Statins soon accounted for over 50 per cent of the company's revenue. The company’s revenue went up from Rs. 70 crore in 1998, to Rs. 500 crore in 2004 when it went public.
Biocon continues to expand into new areas. Yeast expression platforms offer a desirable alternative to mammalian cell cultures for the genetic manipulation of cells for use in a variety of drug treatments. Unicellular methylotrophic yeasts such as Pichia pastoris are used in the production of vaccines, antibody fragments, hormones, cytokines, matrix proteins, and biosimilars.
Biocon's major areas of research now include cancer, diabetes, and other auto-immune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis. Because of the high percentage of people in India who chew betel or tobacco, India accounts for eighty-six per cent of oral cancer in the world, known locally as "cancer cheek". Diabetes is prevalent, and people who do not wear shoes are at risk to have a minor scrape or injury develop into gangrene, or "diabetes foot". Biocon is also working on drugs to treat psoriasis, a skin pigment disease which can result in social ostracization.
Bio-pharmaceuticals developed include Pichia-derived recombinant human insulin and insulin analogs for diabetes, an Anti-EGFR monoclonal antibody for head and neck cancer, and a biologic for psoriasis. Biocon is Asia's largest insulin producer, and has the largest perfusion-based antibody production facilities.
As of 2014, Biocon directed about 10% of its revenue back into research and development, a much higher proportion than most Indian pharmacological companies. Biocon has filed at least 950 patent applications as a result of its research activity. Mazumdar-Shaw has actively engaged in acquisitions, partnerships and in-licensing within the pharmaceuticals and bio-pharmaceutical area, entering into more than 2,200 high-value R&D licensing and other deals between 2005 and 2010.
Mazumdar-Shaw is the recipient of several prestigious international awards including the Othmer Gold Medal (2014) for outstanding contributions to the progress of science and chemistry, the Nikkei Asia Prize (2009) for Regional Growth, the ‘Veuve Clicquot Initiative For Economic Development For Asia' Award (2007), Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award for Life Sciences & Healthcare (2002), and 'Technology Pioneer' recognition by World Economic Forum (2002). On 05/05/2015 Federation University Australia (Formerly known as University of Ballarat) named a road in Mt Helen campus as Mazumdar Drive . Kiran and Shaw together attended the opening function and cut the rippon.
Kiran Mazumdar was born to Gujarati parents in Bangalore, India.[ She went to school at Bangalore’s Bishop Cotton Girl's High School, graduating in 1968. She then attended Mount Carmel College, Bangalore, a women's college offering pre-university courses as an affiliate of Bangalore University. She studied biology and zoology, graduating from Bangalore University with a B.Sc. in Zoology in 1973.
Her father, Rasendra Mazumdar, was the head brewmaster at United Breweries. He suggested that Kiran study fermentation science, and train to be a brewmaster, a very nontraditional field for a woman. Mazumdar went to Federation University (Formerly known as University of Ballarat) in Australia to study Malting and Brewing. In 1974 she was the only woman enrolled in the brewing course, and the top of her class. She earned the degree of Master Brewer in 1975.
She worked as a trainee brewer in Carlton and United Breweries, Melbourne and as a trainee maltster at Barrett Brothers and Burston, Australia. She also worked for some time as a technical consultant at Jupiter Breweries Limited, Calcutta and as a technical manager at Standard Maltings Corporation, Baroda between 1975 and 1977. However, when she investigated the possibility of further work in Bangalore or Delhi, she was told that she would not be hired as a master brewer in India because "It's a man's work." She began to look abroad, and was offered a position in Scotland.
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