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Newsmakers of the Week FEBRUARY 28, 2025 | The Indian Eye 27

SAM MADDULA HITESH HANDA

CEO To create a Academic honored

Transformative Impact on as Regents’ Entrepreneur

Healthcare and Society by UGA

T he University System of Georgia Board of Regents approved UGA’s
Hitesh Handa as Regents’ Entrepreneurs at its February 11 meeting.
“I am immensely grateful to my mentors, mentees, supportive
I colleagues and staff members, collaborators, UGA’s leadership, Innovation
was born in a rural village in India, poor and legally blind, faced with a
future clouded with uncertainty and with no opportunity to exist,” Sam
Gateway and my family for their unwavering support and dedication in mak-
Maddula, Founder & CEO of Bank’s Apothecary Specialty Pharmacy, a
distinguished leader, visionary entrepreneur, and dedicated philanthropist, ing this achievement possible,” said Handa. “Receiving this title is a tremen-
dous honor that highlights the significance of our combined efforts and mo-
says. His life turned from darkness to light as his parents stumbled upon an tivates me to keep pursuing excellence. I am committed to enhancing health
Eye Camp that the Eye Foundation of America (EFA) had set up in 1987 in care by bridging the gap between clinicians and researchers.”
rural Andhra Pradesh.
“It is this organization (EFA) that rescued me from a life of darkness. The This honor acknowledges faculty members who have successful-
Eye Foundation of America helped me get a visa to the United States. The
esteemed Dr. VK Raju himself, performed dual corneal transplant surgery ly transformed research into commercial applications. Initially
on me two weeks after my second birthday in the United States. He did it, granted for three years with the possibility of extension, the des-
working with the Eye Foundation for free. He cured me just like that, with
the magic of his hands. I could see my life went from literal darkness to pure ignation includes a one-time $10,000 cash award. With Handa’s
sunlight,” Maddula says with a sense of immense gratitude and appreciation. appointment and one more, the total number of UGA Regents’
Sam shared his life story with the audience during a Fund Raiser orga-
nized by The Eye Foundation of America in New Delhi on January 31, 2025. Entrepreneurs goes up to five.
Sam, is now on a mission to rekindle the lives of those who are less fortunate,
giving hope to those who are denied their basic human rights. Handa, the associate professor and Distinguished Faculty Fellow in the
His story is one of purpose. impact, and a relentless commitment to build- College of Engineering and director of the Biointerface Translation and En-
ing a brighter future for all. He was born in a rural Indian village with severe gineering Center, has made significant medical innovations through his work
visual impairment. Today, Sam Maddula is on a mission to create a transfor- in biomedical engineering. His research focuses on developing nitric oxide-re-
mative impact on healthcare and society. leasing biomaterials that prevent infections and blood clots sometimes caused
Sam endured significant challenges, economic hardship, social stigma by implanted medical devices.
and limited opportunities, yet these adversities, only fueled his determination. Handa has co-founded two startups including his current venture, Ny-
Armed with an unyielding work ethic, he earned his doctorate in pharmaceu- tricx Inc., and has eight issued patents with 25 more pending. In the past two
tical studies from the Rutgers University, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy years, he successfully secured more than $5.5 million in federal commercial-
in 2009 setting the stage for a transformative career in healthcare. He set out ization grants from agencies including the Department of Defense, Biomed-
to make a difference in the pharmaceuticals industry. He founded a specialty ical Advanced Research and Development Authority and National Institutes
pharmacy in Philadelphia in 2010 focusing on mental and substance disor- of Health.
ders. “As the founder of Bank’s Apothecary Specialty Pharmacy, I scaled op- Beyond his research, Handa actively contributes to UGA’s entrepreneur-
erations from a startup, with zero revenue to $350 million in annual revenue, ial ecosystem, mentoring students and startups while engaging in industry
securing its position as the largest independently held behavioral health spe- events like the Georgia Bio Life Sciences Summit.
cialty pharmacy with a presence across 16 states and 60 employees at its peak. Continued on next page... >>

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