Chemistry alum, entrepreneur develops life-saving drugs promoting access to equitable medicine
2025-06-19
Chemistry alumnus Aditya Kulkarni (Ph.D. 2012) is an entrepreneur in the field of drug discovery and life-sciences, whose passion lies in affordable and equitable access to life-saving medicines regardless of geography or economic background.
He currently serves as the founder and chief scientific officer at Avammune Therapeutics – a biopharmaceutical startup founded in 2020 that develops small molecule medicines to treat cancer and autoimmune disorders.
“While advanced therapeutics are readily available in the U.S. and Europe, countries like India often face limited access. This disparity inspired me to return to India and launch my entrepreneurial journey to make a difference,” Kulkarni explained.
Avammune Therapeutics recently raised $12 million to support clinical development of its lead candidate AVA-NP-695 (an ENPP1 inhibitor) and preclinical development of other pipeline molecules.
“We are developing a pipeline of orally administered drugs that modulate the innate immune system targeting various cancers and autoimmune disorders. AVA-NP-695 is an advanced asset entering clinical trials in 2026 that targets osteosarcoma, triple negative breast cancer and liver cancer. AVA-ADR is first-in-class targeting hard-to-treat interferon addicted cancers such as head and neck cancers and pancreatic cancer. And AVA-ERL is first-in-class targeted therapeutic for renal cell carcinoma and liver cancer.” - Aditya Kulkarni
While at Purdue, Kulkarni was a member of Professor David Thompson’s laboratory. He earned the department’s Herbert C. Brown Graduate Student Research Award in 2012. Coincidentally, his father, Surendra Kulkarni, earned Purdue degrees (M.S. 1976, Ph.D. 1978) studying with Professor Brown.
In 1979, Surendra (fifth from the left) was invited by Professor Brown (pictured far right) to accompany him to the Nobel Ceremony in Sweden in a contingent that included Ei-ichi Negishi (pictured far left.)
“Growing up as the son of an acclaimed chemist, I was naturally drawn to chemistry and dreamed of a career in the field. While pursuing my master’s degree at Leeds University in England, I discovered my passion for drug discovery, which set the course for my future,” Kulkarni remembered.
Kulkarni says he has always been entrepreneurial, but his ambition to become a technopreneur was influenced after taking Professor Philip Low’s molecular biotechnology course during his first year of graduate school at Purdue.
“Learning about Dr. Low’s transformative work with ventures like Endocyte and On Target inspired me to pursue scientific innovation that could impact both research and lives,” he said.
Kulkarni says his fondest memories in West Lafayette are the time he spent with friends that turned into decade-long relationships.
“Charu Yerneni, Sabir Aqueel, Vikas Sikervar, Madduri Srinivasarao and Yawo Mondjinou are friends that I met at Purdue. We still remain very close, try to meet a few times every year, and each inspires me in different ways,” Kulkarni said.
Kulkarni has previously co-founded several R&D companies focused on drug discovery including, Aten Porus Lifesciences and its U.S. offshoot Oraxion Therapeutics. He is the inventor of Oraxion’s technology platform that was part of an “option to license” deal with a U.S. based biotech company for $125 million.
He has co-authored more than 20 international peer-reviewed papers and has filed several international patents in various areas of drug discovery covering rare diseases, oncology and metabolic diseases.
“I credit Purdue for a lot more than just my education in science. I truly believe it is one of the most entrepreneurial schools, and my drive and passion for entrepreneurship increased greatly there. Purdue also has a very collaborative spirit and this is another aspect that has been instrumental in my growth as a scientist and entrepreneur over the years,” he added.
About Purdue Chemistry
The Tarpo Department of Chemistry is internationally acclaimed for its excellence in chemical education and innovation, boasting two Nobel laureates in organic chemistry, the #1 ranked analytical chemistry program, and a highly successful drug discovery initiative that has generated hundreds of millions of dollars in royalties.
About Purdue University
Purdue University is a public research university leading with excellence at scale. Ranked among top 10 public universities in the United States, Purdue discovers, disseminates and deploys knowledge with a quality and at a scale second to none. More than 107,000 students study at Purdue across multiple campuses, locations and modalities, including more than 58,000 at our main campus in West Lafayette and Indianapolis. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue’s main campus has frozen tuition 14 years in a row. See how Purdue never stops in the persistent pursuit of the next giant leap — including its comprehensive urban expansion, the Mitch Daniels School of Business, Purdue Computes and the One Health initiative — at https://www.purdue.edu/president/strategic-initiatives.
Writer and media contact: Steve Scherer, College of Science Communications, scherer@purdue.edu