NRI PULSE STAFF REPORT
Boston, MA, April 16, 2025: Indian American physician-scientist and business executive Reshma Kewalramani, the CEO of Vertex Pharmaceuticals, has been named to the 2025 TIME100 list of the most influential people in the world. The prestigious list, curated annually by TIME magazine, honors individuals across the globe who are shaping the future in business, science, politics, arts, and activism.
Kewalramani’s recognition comes on the heels of a historic achievement in the world of medicine. Under her leadership, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, in partnership with CRISPR Therapeutics, developed and secured FDA approval for Casgevy, the first-ever CRISPR-based gene-editing therapy. Casgevy treats sickle cell disease—a life-threatening genetic disorder that primarily affects people of African descent—by correcting the mutation in patients’ DNA. The approval represents a groundbreaking milestone in genetic medicine, opening doors for the treatment of other inherited conditions.
TIME praised Kewalramani for ushering in a new era of medicine and making “the dream of gene-editing a clinical reality.”
Born in India and raised in the U.S., Reshma Kewalramani’s path to the top of the biotech world has been marked by passion, perseverance, and purpose. She earned her medical degree from Boston University School of Medicine and completed her residency and fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. Before transitioning to industry, she practiced as a nephrologist.
In 2017, she joined Vertex, a Boston-based biotechnology company known for its work in cystic fibrosis treatments. Just three years later, in 2020, she became CEO—making history as the first woman of color to lead a major U.S. biotech company.
Kewalramani has long emphasized the importance of combining scientific innovation with a deep sense of responsibility to patients. In an interview, she once said, “The point of innovation is not just to do something new. It’s to do something that truly matters.”
In addition to Casgevy, Vertex continues to pursue bold research in pain management, type 1 diabetes, and rare diseases—firmly positioning itself at the forefront of transformative medicine.
