Anand Parikh: Providing Alternate Treatment Options for Cancer Patients

Ladderworks is a publishing platform of diverse picture books and online curriculum with the mission to empower over a million kids to become social entrepreneurs. Our current series features interviews by our interplanetary journalist Spiffy with inspiring Social Entrepreneurs, Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Builders, and Changemakers who are advancing the UN SDGs.

Spiffy here with the scoop on the entrepreneurial leaders of Planet Earth. As the only interplanetary journalist stationed on this blue planet, I’m thrilled to present this galactic exclusive with Anand Parikh, the chief executive officer of Faeth Therapeutics. Let’s learn what’s happening at Faeth Therapeutics, and how Anand is making a positive impact in the world.

Spiffy: Thanks for joining me, Anand! Tell me, what challenge are you addressing through Faeth Therapeutics?

Anand: Thanks for having me, Spiffy! Faeth Therapeutics reprograms patients' metabolism to fight cancer. 

Spiffy: What motivates you to do it?

Anand: Recent research has shown that focusing on a patient’s metabolism can yield results as impactful as chemotherapy.

Spiffy: What is the impact of your work?

Anand: To provide another treatment option for patients with cancer, in addition to surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy.

Spiffy: Tell me about a recent organization milestone or initiative. What impact does it make on your audience/community?

Anand:  Introducing AI to massively increase the speed of cancer therapeutics, by accelerating the development of precision therapies that regulate a patient’s metabolism, to slow cancer growth, and kill tumors.

Spiffy: Is there anything else you would love to tell our audience?

Anand: Faeth Therapeutics was born from three leading research teams with three separate discoveries coming together around one big idea, that we can use metabolism to beat cancer.

Spiffy: Thanks for speaking with me today, Anand—it’s been an honor!

Anand Parikh is co-founder and chief executive officer at Faeth Therapeutics. Anand was previously the chief financial officer of Virta Health, a $2B digital diabetes reversal clinic. He began his career as a corporate attorney, and earned a BA from the University of Michigan, and a JD from NYU Law School. (Nominated by Unshackled Ventures. First published on the Ladderworks website on September 28, 2023.)

The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the interviewee and do not necessarily reflect those of Ladderworks LLC.

© 2023 Ladderworks LLC. Edited by Shikha Tandon. Spiffy’s illustration by Shreyas Navare. For the Ladderworks digital curriculum to help K-3 kids advance the UN SDGs, visit Spiffy's Launchpad: Creative Entrepreneurship Workshops for K-3 Kids and their caregivers here.