How do you build a ₹200 Crore Pharma brand from scratch in 5Yrs I Ft. Rakesh Maitre, Senior VP Celagenex I Ep61

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Game Of Pharma Podcast

How do you build a ₹200 Crore Pharma brand from scratch in 5Yrs I Ft. Rakesh Maitre, Senior VP Celagenex I Ep61

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97% of pharmaceutical companies rely on "me too" generic molecules to survive. How do you skip the generic trap and build a ₹200 Crore patent led powerhouse from scratch, starting just 10 days before a nationwide lockdown?


In this episode of Game of Pharma, host Lokesh Sharma sits down with Rakesh Maitre, Senior Vice President at Celagenex and a 30 year pharmaceutical industry veteran (ex Ranbaxy, ex Piramal, ex Abbott), to unpack how scientific differentiation and a people first culture can disrupt the healthcare market.


While most pharma startups struggle with field force attrition and crowded molecule spaces, Celagenex built three ₹30 Crore+ brands by focusing entirely on patented, endogenous molecules in gap area therapies like child neurology, stroke rehabilitation, and anti aging sirtuins. Rakesh sir reveals the exact blueprint behind recruiting 100 employees in 20 days without an existing sales pipeline, maintaining zero salary cuts during the pandemic, earning government recognition on Kartavya Path under Atmanirbhar Bharat Yojana, and developing an exclusive endogenous GLP 1 therapy designed for weight loss without muscle loss.


Discover what it takes to transition from entry level field sales to top corporate leadership, how to manage customer psychology in medical detailing, and the core operational principles for scaling a high growth pharma company in India.


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What We Cover in This Episode


  • The COVID 19 Lockdown Survival Playbook: Joining as Employee #1, hiring 100 people in 20 days, and executing hospital sanitization strategies to gain doctor access during peak lockdown.
  • Escaping the "Me Too" Generic Trap: Why 97% of pharma companies fail to innovate and how Celagenex pivoted to a 100% patent driven, endogenous molecule strategy.
  • Exclusive GLP 1 Industry Reveal: Celagenex's revolutionary endogenous GLP 1 therapy designed for weight loss without muscle degradation.
  • Niche Therapeutic Breakthroughs: Commercializing first in class treatments for Autism/ADHD, neurodevelopmental delays (NDD), sirtuin based cardiology, and male/female infertility.
  • The "R&D" Growth Blueprint: How US based R&D (80+ filed patents, 60+ clinical trials, DMF approved APIs) paired with a high trust culture built a ₹200 Cr enterprise.
  • The People First Retention Engine: Why promoting 65% of field force members internally (from Medical Rep to National Sales Manager) creates long term organizational sustainability.
  • National Recognition: The story behind being honored on Kartavya Path under Atmanirbhar Bharat Yojana and recognized publicly by Union Minister Piyush Goyal.



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Host & Guest Profiles:


Guest (Rakesh Maitre) - https://www.linkedin.com/in/rakesh-maitre-2101ab17/

Host - https://www.linkedin.com/in/lokesh-sharma-7250a71a9/


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