Georgetown Law

Dr. Rikin “Rik” Mehta is a biotech entrepreneur, innovator, healthcare law and policy expert and a licensed pharmacist and attorney. Rik ran for the U.S. Senate in 2020 making history as the first American of Indian origin to win the nomination of either major political party for a statewide race in New Jersey. He was also the first person of color to win the GOP nomination for a statewide race in New Jersey history and set the record for the highest number of votes ever received by a Republican candidate in New Jersey.

Professionally, Rik worked at the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) where he spent years fighting to crack down on illegal, unapproved drugs and worked to remove dangerous opioids from the market. He is a former FDA Senior Advisor where he worked to advance the global fight against counterfeit medicines. Rik is also the former Senior Deputy Director of the D.C. Department of Health and the Executive Director of the Board of Medicine, where he led an administration charged with protecting public health.

After leaving public service, Rik joined the private sector working at the intersection of regulation and medical innovation. Currently, Rik sits on the Board of two companies he co-founded, Lactiga Therapeutics and Licentiam, Inc. Lactiga is an award-winning, venture-backed biotherapeutics company developing novel biologics to treat and prevent infections with a focus on improving the quality of life in patients with rare diseases. Licentiam is one of the nation’s top medical licensing professional services firms. Rik also serves as Principal of his own consulting firm where he develops novel strategies for select companies facing complex regulatory challenges.

Rik received his B.S. in pharmacy from Rutgers University, his Pharm.D. from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, his J.D. from Rutgers University School of Law and a Master of Laws in Global Health Law and International Institutions through a joint program with Georgetown University Law Center and the Graduate Institute for International and Development Studies in Geneva, Switzerland.