Dr. Parimal R. Desai retired in May 2023 as Vice President of the Merck Manufacturing Division in West Point, Pennsylvania, USA. At Merck, he established a large molecule product development organization and played a crucial role in the accelerated launch of Keytruda, a groundbreaking immune-oncology drug. Over the past decade, his leadership was instrumental in commercializing life-saving vaccines against diseases such as Ebola, Dengue, Pneumococcal virus, HPV, CMV, and COVID-19, leading to the licensure of Gardasil 9, Vaxelis, Vaxneuvance, and Ervebo Ebola virus vaccines. Before joining Merck in 2010, Dr. Desai held significant positions at Pfizer, Wyeth, and American Cyanamid. With over 33 years of experience, he directed global product development functions, successfully developing and launching more than two dozen pharmaceuticals and vaccines. He also served as CEO of Hilleman Laboratories in India and remains an advisor to the Hilleman Labs CEO and Board of Directors. Notably, the HILLCHOL Cholera vaccine, developed by Hilleman Labs, was launched in August 2024 by Bharat Biotech. Dr. Desai earned his Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Penn State University, USA.