Biotech CEO Sisterhood: X4 Pharmaceuticals' CEO Paula Ragan on her career and running a commercial stage company in the rare disease space

Interviewed by Sisterhood editorial board member Erika Smith, Paula Ragan shares her career path and things she has learned along the way. She describes what it is like managing a company during these volatile times for the sector, and previews a big readout X4 will have next year.

Biographies

Dr. Ragan is a Founder of X4 and has been the company’s President and Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board of Directors since launching the company in July 2014. Prior to founding X4, Dr. Ragan consulted as Chief Business Officer at Lysosomal Therapeutics, a private biopharmaceutical company. Prior to that, Dr. Ragan held leadership roles in corporate development and operations at Genzyme Corporation, a Sanofi company, where she led strategic partnering efforts for Genzyme’s Rare Disease business and headed the supply chain planning for Genzyme’s flagship commercial products. She also previously held business roles at Hydra Biosciences, Oscient Corporation, and Celera Corporation. Since 2019, Dr. Ragan has served as a member of the Board of Directors of Camp4 Therapeutics, a private biotechnology company. Dr. Ragan received a B.S. from Tufts University, a Ph.D. from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and completed post-doctoral studies at Harvard Medical School.

Erika Smith is the CEO and Board Member of EpiTET Therapeutics developing novel oral therapeutics that selectively eliminates pathogenic macrophages, the key drivers of chronic inflammation and disease micro-environment. Previously she led ReNetX Bio, venture funded neuro-science company, from preclinical development through Phase 1/2 clinical trials and acquisition.

As an investor, she served as the inaugural director of the $65M Blavatnik Fund at Yale, launched the Johnson & Johnson investment fund in partnership with the Center for Innovative Technology and was a Venture Advisor to Epidarex Ventures, a transatlantic life-science venture firm. These early-stage investments enabled successful exits including medSage (acq: Philips Healthcare), Isoplexis (NASDAQ: ISO), and Biorez ($250M Acq NYSE: CNMD).

She is the Board Chair (ECS) and on the Executive Committee Board of Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) and a recognized thought leader holding numerous awards including: “Industry Superstar”, “Entrepreneur of the Year,” and co-author of playbook “Empowering Women Entrepreneurs” sponsored by JPMorgan Chase; and TEDx speaker. Erika received a bachelor’s degree in Biomedical and Electrical Engineering and a Master of Business Administration (MBA).