Mahendra G Shah, PH.D. has over 50 years of experience in Pharma/Biopharma industry as a scientist, entrepreneur, investor, board member and mentor. Dr. Shah is the founder of Semnur pharmaceuticals, Nextwave Pharmaceuticals and Prism Pharmaceuticals. He was also on the board of a number of public companies in U.S. and outside U.S.- Biotie therapeutics- Finland, Verona pharma-UK, HC medi- Tiawan, Introgen Therapeutics, Impel Neuropharma, Soleno Therapeutics, Bolt Therapeutics, and Unimed pharmaceutics. He was also on the board of several private companies, including Seran Biosciences, Scientia Vascular, Cerebral Therapeutics, and Rarestone etc. He was also a member of board of trustees of ST. John university.
From March 2010 to December 2025, he was at Vivo Capital as a senior fellow and continues to be advisor to Vivo.

From September 2005 to December 2009, he was the founder, chairman, and CEO of NextWave Pharmaceuticals, a pediatric focused specialty pharmaceutical company, which was sold to Pfizer for a total of $700 million in upfront and milestone payments. From 1993 to May 2003, he was the chairman and CEO of First Horizon Pharmaceuticals, a publicly traded specialty pharmaceutical company, where he raised over $200 million and built a highly profitable company before it was sold to Shionogi Pharmaceuticals for $1.4 billion. From 1991 to October 1999, he was vice president of E. J. Financial Enterprises, Inc., which manages a fund that invests in healthcare companies..

From 1987 to 1991 he was the senior director of new business development with Fujisawa USA (Astellas). Prior to that time, he worked in various scientific and management positions with Schering-Plough and Bristol Myers-Squibb. Dr. Shah received his Ph.D. in Industrial Pharmacy from St. John’s University and his Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Pharmacy from L.M. College of Pharmacy in Gujarat, India.