Chicago
Dr. Liia Ramachandra
Health and Wellness
Health and Wellness
Dr. Liia Ramachandra, Pharm.D., Ph.D. is a serial entrepreneur and healthcare executive. Dr. Liia is the Founder and CEO EpiLynx, Gluten-Free Skin Care and Cosmetics Brand. She comes with vast experience in Global Medical Affairs, Global Ethics and Compliance, Clinical Research, and Global Publications. Dr. Liia drove the development of the strategic vision and mission for the national field-based medical program, the development of publication plans, the planning and management of medical activities at scientific congresses, the development of programs resources for Regional Medical Liaisons, and Biopharmaceutical Representatives. She has worked with multiple companies like Takeda, Pfizer, and Astellas. Dr. Liia holds a Master’s degree in Pharmacy and Doctorate in Pharmacy from Groningen University, the Netherlands, and a Ph.D. from the University of Utrecht, Netherlands.
Dr. Liia was diagnosed with psoriasis at just six years old, she has not only battled this autoimmune condition most of her life, but she also has made it her life’s mission to bring relief to the millions diagnosed with it by developing skincare products to ease the symptoms of psoriasis and other common skin conditions such as acne and eczema.
With both her husband, Dr. Sumant Ramachandra, MD, Ph.D., MBA, and Dr. Liia having over 30 years of pharmaceutical medicine development experience, they realized that instead of continuing to search for relief of her symptoms elsewhere, they could find solutions much closer to home. The combination of her doctorates in pharmacy and chemistry with his experience as a physician, scientist, and business leader gave them the unique foundation to create EpiLynx by Dr. Liia—their own line of allergen-free, gluten-free, vegan, and clean skincare products designed to help improve the quality of life for people struggling with autoimmune disease and allergies.
Although “clean” is a popular marketing term at the moment, when Dr. Liia started her research, she has noticed that none of the many skincare products marketed as “clean” fit the mold of what she considers safe and functional for people with certain skin conditions. Since there is no formal definition of what qualifies a product as “clean”, a company can label just about any product “clean” despite the ingredients, according to NPR. “Clean”, for EpiLynx, means free of the most common allergens such as nuts, gluten, shellfish, dairy, parabens, and phthalates. “Clean” needs to be seen not only as a chemical concept but also as a medical concept. This distinction is key to helping alleviate the symptoms of skin conditions and, more importantly, not aggravating symptoms with the wrong skincare products and cosmetics.
Although creating a skincare company that is gluten-free, allergen-friendly and vegan is challenging, the dream of creating quality, affordable skincare products for people with sensitive skin, allergies, and autoimmune conditions keeps them focused. With so many patients desperate for relief, EpiLynx by Dr. Liia ensures quality skincare at an affordable price---a relief to herself and the millions like her.
