FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact:
Chiara Canzi
Chief Communications Officer
[email protected]
(434) 249-5930
www.medaditus.org

Med Aditus International Announces Appointment of Robert A. Blouin as President & Chief Executive Officer and Launch of Subsidiary, Med Aditus Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

 

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC, (November 16, 2023) – The Board of Directors of Med Aditus International, Inc. (MAI) is pleased to announce that Robert A. Blouin, Pharm.D. has been named President & CEO of MAI. Outgoing President & CEO Dhiren R. Thakker, Ph.D., takes the helm of MAI’s newly formed subsidiary Med Aditus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (MAP). Blouin served as a member of MAI’s Board of Directors and close advisor to Thakker.

MAI is a nonprofit corporation aimed at creating better access to affordable high-quality medicines in sub-Saharan Africa. MAI’s first major initiative is the launch of MAP to promote the rapid growth of local pharmaceutical manufacturing. MAP, through a local subsidiary, will establish a state-of-the-art pharmaceutical manufacturing facility in Kisumu, Kenya, on the shores of Lake Victoria. This facility will deploy first-of-its-kind in the continent technologies such as continuous modular manufacturing, blockchain data architecture, and pre-fabricated pods to meet the patient and market needs.

“I am very excited to have the opportunity to lead MAI into its next phase of development,” said Blouin. “Partnering with local and national communities, MAI will grow the critical workforce needed to support this emerging industry in Africa further contributing to the economic growth of the region.”

“The Board and I extend a warm welcome to Bob. His appointment and the simultaneous launch of MAP mark a significant milestone for the organization’s journey to dramatically improve accessibility to medicine in Africa,” said Pape Gaye, Chairman of the Board of Directors of MAI.

Blouin will oversee MAI’s operations and fundraising efforts as the nonprofit shifts its focus to other projects that will help grow the current East African and sub-Saharan pharmaceutical market into a world-class ecosystem. MAI will oversee MAP and its Kenyan subsidiary to ensure adherence to the mission. Thakker will serve as the President & CEO of MAP.

As the former Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), Blouin served as the university’s chief academic officer and chief operating officer overseeing the operations of a $3.5B academic enterprise. As the Dean of UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, Blouin led the School to be the top ranked pharmacy school in the nation. His leadership of the School helped secure a $100 million gift made by Fred Eshelman, Pharm.D., the largest donation from an individual in the history of UNC, leading to the creation of Eshelman Institute for Innovation, where he served as the first Director.

Blouin received a Bachelor of Science from the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences and a Doctor of Pharmacy at the College of Pharmacy, University of Kentucky. He was honored with a Doctor of Law honoris causa from Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.

Thakker founded MAI in December of 2019 and has served as its President & CEO (https://medaditus.org/people/dhiren-thakker/) until now. As President and CEO of MAP, he brings 40 years of experience in pharmaceutical sciences at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the pharmaceutical industry, and university leadership.

 

Med Aditus International is a nonprofit organization committed to applying cutting-edge technologies such as modular continuous flow pharmaceutical manufacturing and blockchain-powered automated quality assurance systems, to expand access to quality, affordable medicines in sub-Saharan African countries while transforming the region’s emerging pharmaceutical sector into a world-class, sustainable ecosystem.

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Med Aditus International, Inc. is a North Carolina, United States, nonprofit corporation; It is tax-exempt under the Internal Revenue Code Section 501 (c)(3).

For interviews or additional information about Med Aditus, please contact Chiara Canzi, Chief Communications Officer, at [email protected] and 434-249-5930.