Dhiren R. Thakker, Ph.D., is President and CEO of Med Aditus Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a for profit corporation that was launched in the fall of 2023 and is aimed at changing the traditional pharmaceutical manufacturing market. Thakker founded Med Aditus International, Inc., a nonprofit company whose mission is to improve availability of affordable and quality medicines to underserved populations in sub- Saharan Africa. He is Professor Emeritus at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he served as a Distinguished Professor and administrator for nearly 24 years. Before retiring from the University on September 30, 2019, he served as interim dean of the School and interim director of the Eshelman Institute for Innovation (2017-2019), as associate dean for Global Engagement and Entrepreneurial Development (EDGE) (2009-2016), and as associate dean for Research and Graduate Education (1998-2008). Prior to joining UNC in 1996, Dr. Thakker spent (i) eight years at Glaxo Inc. where he was director of Drug Metabolism Department, (ii) four years at the Center for Biologics, FDA, and (iii) eight years at the National Institutes of Health. He obtained Bachelor of Pharmacy from Bombay University, India, M.S. in Pharmaceutical Chemistry from Columbia University, New York, and Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of Kansas at Lawrence.

Dr. Vincent Orinda is an experienced health professional with a vast international experience in global health. Dr. Orinda worked for the United Nations for 17 years in Namibia, South Africa, New York, and Uganda. He was appointed a Senior Health Advisor (Child Health) with UNICEF New York, and served from December 1996 to July, 2002. During his time at UNICEF, he provided technical support to many countries in Eastern and Southern Africa, West Africa, North Africa and Middle East, and South East Asia. Dr. Orinda also he coordinated the development of a global strategy for improving child survival and development in communities namely Community Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (CIMCI). From 2002 to October 2007, he was UNICEF’s Chief of Child Survival and Development Programme in Uganda — responsible for Health, Nutrition, Water and Sanitation. In his early years in UNICEF, from 1990 to December 1996, he worked in Namibia and South Africa where he made a major contribution to the transformation of the health sector in Namibia and was a key member of a task team that developed South Africa’s first national health policy – “Towards a National Health System” – that shaped the restructuring of the health sector in the immediate post-apartheid era. Dr Orinda who holds a MBchB and Masters of Medicine (Paediatrics) and was a Senior Lecturer in Paediatrics and Child Health at the University of Nairobi Medical School. Upon leaving UNICEF, Dr. Orinda has remained an independent health consultant. Dr. Orinda is a former Chairman of Kenya Paediatrics Association and a vice-Chairman of Kenya Medical Association. He has authored four books and remains committed to supporting health development worldwide.

George Mugi is a Registered Pharmacist with more than 33 years’ experience in pharmaceutical, cosmetics and household products manufacturing. Mugi began his pharmaceutical manufacturing career in 1990 as Quality Control Laboratory in-charge in Laboratory & Allied Ltd and then joined PZ Cussons East Africa Ltd in 1991, where he worked as Production Manager for the OTC, Cosmetics and Household product line. He was a member of the National Technical Committee for initiation and development of National Standards for the cosmetics and household products. Mugi joined Universal Corporation Ltd in 2005 as the Head of Quality Assurance and Authorized Person. He led the technical team in establishing and building a robust QMS and cGMP compliant operations that received PIC/S GMP Compliance status (under the PPP-project “Drug Quality Improvement in Kenya”- a joint project under the umbrella of GIZ Germany and Pharmacy & Poisons Board-Kenya). Building a culture of quality and compliance culminated in manufacturing site attaining the prestigious WHO GMP compliance and Prequalification for a product for management of HIV/AIDS, becoming the only 4th manufacturer in Africa and first and only one in Kenya to date. As an Auditor, Mugi has conducted audits for more than 20 active pharmaceutical ingredients manufacturing facilities (in India, China and Europe) as well as MQAS, GSDP and GMP audits for facilities in countries in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. He has hands-on experience in generic products formulation development and reformulation to improve quality. Mugi also offers technical assistance in preparation for GMP inspections, CAPA development, training and mentoring. Mugi holds a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Nairobi and a M.S. in Biotechnology, Innovation and Regulatory Science from Purdue University.