Vikram Sudarsan

Vikram Sudarsan is a neuroscientist, biotech entrepreneur, and industry veteran with roughly 25 years of experience spanning venture capital, business development, transactions, market access, drug discovery, drug development, and operations. He holds a PhD in Genetics from the University of Sheffield, UK (with doctoral research carried out at the University of Cambridge) and an M.Sc. in Biochemistry from MS University Baroda in India, and he completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Stanford University School of Medicine.

Early in his career he helped build the Asset Valuation practice at PriceSpective, LLC (later sold to ICON Plc), and subsequently helped launch IMS Health's Transaction Advisory Practice (IMS Health Capital, Inc.) as an Engagement Manager. He joined Cipla in October 2013, where he served as Head of Strategy for Cipla New Ventures and later as CEO of Cipla Technologies, building a pipeline of branded products targeting CNS disorders and respiratory diseases. During his Cipla tenure he sat on the boards of Stempeutics, Chase Pharmaceuticals, Cipla Technologies, and Cipla USA — the venture and dealmaking exposure behind his "investor" identity.

In 2019 he co-founded Engrail Therapeutics with Stephen Cunningham, MD, and serves as its President, CEO, and board member. Engrail is a clinical-stage precision-neuroscience company developing therapies for neuropsychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders — including anxiety, depression, PTSD, and rare neurodegenerative diseases — with its lead asset ENX-102 in Phase 2 for generalized anxiety disorder. Engrail has raised more than $220 million to date, including a $64M Series A (2021) and a $157M Series B (2024).

• Invests and operates almost exclusively in life sciences / therapeutics, with deep specialization in neuroscience and CNS (neuropsychiatric, neurodevelopmental, and neurodegenerative disease) plus respiratory.
• Backs early-stage / seed company formation — his own model at Engrail is precision-targeted, mechanistically-differentiated drug candidates addressing large unmet-need indications.
• Values scientific rigor and clear development strategy; in his own words on Engrail's funding, he emphasizes assembling "highly sophisticated and dedicated life science investors" to "deliver multiple value-creating milestones."
• Cross-border US–India orientation, reflecting his Cipla background and Engrail's backing from Eight Roads' India Ventures team.