Pratik Shah

Dr. Shah is chairman of the board at ARS Pharmaceuticals and executive chairman at Design Therapeutics.

Until February of 2020, he served as Chairman of Synthorx, Inc., a public biotechnology company developing innovative protein therapeutics for cancer and autoimmune disorders acquired by Sanofi for $2.5 billion.

Previously he was president and chief executive officer of Auspex Pharmaceuticals, a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of novel medicines for people with movement disorders and its lead product, AUSTEDO (deutetrabenazine), is currently on the market. He first became involved in Auspex as an investor in 2007 and served as its chairman or executive chairman at various points in time until he took over as its chief executive officer in 2013. As chief executive officer, he took the company public and oversaw its growth until its eventual acquisition by Teva Pharmaceuticals for $3.5 billion in 2015.

Dr. Shah was a partner in the healthcare venture capital firm Thomas, McNerney & Partners for almost a decade starting in 2004, and has served on numerous boards for both private and public companies. Prior to joining Thomas, McNerney & Partners, he co-founded two biotechnology companies and was also a consultant at McKinsey & Company in San Francisco.

Dr. Shah obtained his Ph.D. in biochemistry and molecular biology as well as his MBA in finance from the University of Chicago.