Septerna Inc. said on Monday it appointed Rajiv Patni, M.D., as chief medical officer, tapping his expertise in biopharmaceutical development and regulatory strategy.
Patni brings more than 25 years of experience in research, development, regulatory affairs and medical operations, including contributions to programs that secured 10 regulatory approvals or label expansions in the United States, Europe and other markets. His appointment follows his role as CEO at Judo Bio and prior leadership positions at Reata Pharmaceuticals, Global Blood Therapeutics, Portola Pharmaceuticals, Adamas Pharmaceuticals and Actelion Pharmaceuticals.
Before joining biotech, Patni held roles at Pfizer and Roche Pharmaceuticals, where he led development teams across multiple therapeutic areas. He also serves as a director at BioXcel Therapeutics. Patni earned his M.D. from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and completed internal medicine residency and cardiology fellowship training at Albert Einstein College of Medicine.
Septerna, a South San Francisco-based clinical-stage biotechnology company, focuses on G protein-coupled receptor drug discovery and oral small molecule candidates for endocrinology, immunology, inflammation and metabolic diseases. Jeffrey Finer, M.D., Ph.D., Septerna’s CEO and co-founder, said Patni’s track record in guiding investigational medicines from early studies through regulatory approvals strengthens the company’s development pipeline.
The appointment was announced on Aug. 25, 2026.
