Priya Singhal, MD, MPH

Head of Research and Development, Zafgen, Inc

Dr. Priya Singhal is the Senior Vice President and the Global Head of Safety and Benefit Risk Management (SABR) at Biogen since mid-2013. Priya joined Biogen in late 2012 as VP, Clinical Trials in SABR. Priya was promoted to Global Head within eight months of her joining the company.

During her Clinical Trial tenure at Biogen she led the worldwide benefit-risk strategy for the filings and approvals of Plegridy, Alprolix and Eloctate. As Global Head, she oversees all key benefit-risk medical strategy for the entire Biogen marketed portfolio as well as the development product portfolio. In addition, Priya is also responsible for SABR Operational and Epidemiology strategy and implementation.

Prior to Biogen, Priya was at Vertex Pharmaceuticals for five years from 2008-2012. During her last year at Vertex, Priya served as VP, Medical Affairs and led strategy and educational efforts across all Vertex programs including the Vertex Hepatitis C and Cystic Fibrosis portfolios. Before that, she held roles of increasing seniority in Vertex Global Patient safety and led the benefit-risk aspects of the HCV portfolio. She presented and defended the positive Telaprevir benefit-risk at the May 2011 Advisory Committee for Telaprevir that resulted in a 19-0 positive vote followed by worldwide Incivek approval. From 2005-2008, Priya led benefit-risk for Velcade at Millennium Pharmaceuticals and two compounds in the development portfolio.

Preceding her career in the biotechnology industry, Priya completed her MPH in International Health at Harvard School of Public Health and led a pilot program in the Radiology Department of Massachusetts General Hospital addressing outsourcing of chest x-ray readings to India.

Priya was born and raised in India, was trained in Internal Medicine in Mumbai and is fluent in five Indian languages. She is an invited speaker at Academic and Industry Forums for Benefit-Risk and Drug Development and serves as the Biogen lead for PhRMA benefit-risk initiatives and CIRS (Center for Innovation of Regulatory Sciences). Priya is a recipient of several company awards on her outstanding contributions and notably a recipient of Healthcare Business Woman Rising Star award in 2012.