Vertex, CRISPR Therapeutics Land On TIME’s Most Influential Companies List

Photos: Time

India-West News Desk

NEW YORK, NY – Two prominent biotechnology companies, Vertex Pharmaceuticals and CRISPR Therapeutics, both led by Indian American CEOs, have been named to TIME’s 2025 list of the 100 Most Influential Companies. The recognition highlights their significant contributions to gene therapy and drug development.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals, under the leadership of CEO Reshma Kewalramani, was named in the “Impact Awards” category, which spotlights five standout companies making meaningful advancements in their fields. Meanwhile, CRISPR Therapeutics, led by CEO Samarth Kulkarni, earned a spot in the “Pioneers” category for its groundbreaking work in gene editing.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals was lauded for its innovative pipeline, which includes Casgevy, the first FDA-approved CRISPR-based treatment for sickle cell disease and beta thalassemia, co-developed with CRISPR Therapeutics. The company also recently launched Journavx, the first non-opioid painkiller approved in over two decades. Kewalramani’s strategic focus on addressing diseases with high unmet needs through rational drug design has been pivotal to Vertex’s ascent, contributing to its $114 billion market capitalization.

“Why did we do this? Because we thought pain was an incredibly important disease where there was no innovation and where we thought we could make a big difference,” Kewalramani stated. “And why did we keep going? Because of the science and our desire to work in areas where we could make this kind of transformative leap.”

Beyond pain management, Vertex is also actively developing a cell-based cure for type 1 diabetes and accelerating treatments for chronic kidney disease, bolstered by its $4.9 billion acquisition of Alpine Immune Sciences in 2024.

CRISPR Therapeutics continues to expand the frontiers of gene editing technology. Following the FDA approval of Casgevy, the company is now exploring the application of Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) for widespread conditions such as high cholesterol and lupus.

Samarth Kulkarni, CEO of CRISPR Therapeutics, emphasized the company’s core mission: “Since our founding, CRISPR Therapeutics has been driven by a mission to transform medicine through bold science and meaningful innovation. We are honored to be recognized by TIME. This acknowledgement is testament to the extraordinary dedication and collaboration across our teams to pioneer the next frontier of genetic medicine and improve the lives of patients around the world.”