When 17-year-old Sarfaraz Niazi boarded an airplane for the first time and left Pakistan for Washington State University, he had no idea his journey would help reshape the future of biotechnology.
Today, the internationally recognized pharmaceutical scientist, entrepreneur and author has spent decades advancing biosimilar medicines, influencing regulatory policy around the world and championing affordable treatments for patients. Yet despite a career that has spanned academia, industry and global health, Niazi says his story began at WSU.
In 1969, after earning two undergraduate degrees before most students finish high school, Niazi wrote to WSU College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Dean Allen I. White seeking admission to the college’s graduate program.
“Most universities thought I was too young,” Niazi recalled.
White welcomed him to Pullman with one memorable condition: his first class had to be ballroom dancing.
“That was the moment I fell in love with him,” Niazi said with a smile. “He was a great man.”
Arriving in rural eastern Washington as a teenager who had never flown before, Niazi quickly found mentors both on and off campus. Host families in Spokane and Seattle introduced him to American life, while faculty challenged him academically. Dean White appointed him as a teaching assistant, where the teenage graduate student found himself teaching classmates older than he was.
“I’ve always believed science should serve mankind.”
Sarfaraz Niazi, affiliate faculty and class of 1971 alumnus
“My association with WSU has never left me,” he said.
After completing his master’s degree, Niazi followed his advisor to Chicago, earned his PhD and became the youngest tenured professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago at just 27 years old. But rather than remain in academia, he pursued opportunities to bring scientific discoveries to patients.
His career took him to Abbott Laboratories, the United Nations’ International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology in Italy, and eventually to founding Therapeutic Proteins International, one of the first U.S. companies dedicated to developing biosimilar medicines. Along the way, he raised more than $500 million in investment capital, secured more than 200 U.S. patents and authored more than 50 books on pharmaceutical sciences and biotechnology.
His textbooks have become foundational references for scientists worldwide, while his research has helped shape the rapidly growing field of biosimilars.
Throughout his career, one mission has remained constant: making lifesaving biological medicines more affordable.
“I’ve always believed science should serve mankind,” Niazi said.
His work has helped drive significant changes in how biosimilar drugs are evaluated and approved. Through years of publishing research, petitioning regulators and advising the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Niazi advocated for evidence-based approaches that reduce unnecessary testing while maintaining patient safety. He believes these changes will dramatically lower development costs and expand access to critical medicines around the world.
Now, after more than five decades of global impact, Niazi is returning to the institution where it all began.
As an affiliate faculty to the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, he hopes to elevate the college’s research profile by mentoring faculty, connecting researchers with industry partners and expanding opportunities for externally funded research.
Among his ideas is creating a world-class biosimilar analytical testing center at WSU that would support pharmaceutical companies seeking regulatory certification. He also plans to mentor researchers in scientific writing, facilitate industry collaborations and help attract new research funding.
For Niazi, the effort is deeply personal.
“Many graduates have helped WSU over the years,” he said. “Today I’m in a position to give back.”
For the teenager who once arrived in Pullman with little more than ambition and curiosity, returning to WSU represents the closing of a remarkable circle—one built on gratitude, scientific discovery and a lifelong commitment to improving human health.