HYDERABAD, India — John Pavey has been appointed Head of Global Process Research & Development (PR&D) at Sai Life Sciences, following a planned leadership transition.
Pavey joined Sai in 2025 and has been working closely with the PR&D organization over the past several months to support a structured handover. With this transition now complete, he takes on full leadership of the function. He succeeds Dean Edney, who served the company for six years and played an important role in strengthening its PR&D capabilities.
“Having joined Sai Life Sciences last year and worked closely with the PR&D team through this transition, I’ve gained a strong appreciation of both the depth of our capabilities and the opportunities ahead,” said Pavey. “As I step into this role, my focus is on building on this foundation — further strengthening how we support increasingly complex programs with speed, quality, and consistency.”
Pavey brings more than two decades of global experience in chemistry, manufacturing, and controls (CMC) and chemical development. He has a strong track record of advancing active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) programs from early discovery through to global regulatory approvals and commercial supply.
He has held senior leadership roles at leading global pharmaceutical companies including Johnson & Johnson, UCB, and AstraZeneca. His expertise spans emerging modalities such as oligonucleotides, antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), and peptides, as well as digital chemistry, sustainable manufacturing, and quality by design (QbD).
He is widely recognized for building high-performing teams and driving innovation through collaboration with partners across industry, academia, and regulatory bodies. He holds a BA (with honors) in chemistry from the University of Oxford, a PhD in organic chemistry from the University of Liverpool, and completed postdoctoral research at the University of Cambridge.
