Aaron Schacht

Aaron Schacht is the CEO of BiomEdit, INC, a next-generation animal health company pioneering microbiome and synthetic biology innovations to develop novel feed ingredients and medicines for livestock and pets.

Prior to founding BiomEdit, Schacht retired in 2021 from Elanco Animal Health (NYSE: ELAN), where he led R&D, regulatory affairs, and business development beginning in 2015. He transformed Elanco’s innovation strategy, integrating internal capabilities with external innovation partnerships to establish the company as a global leader in animal health. He spearheaded major acquisitions—including Bayer Animal Health, Aratana Therapeutics, and Kindred Biosciences—and oversaw the successful launch of more than a dozen new products, including Interceptor Plus, Credelio, Galliprant, Clynav, Experior, and Elura, while building a robust pipeline poised to deliver key product launches in recent years. Schacht also played a key role in Elanco’s spin-out from Eli Lilly and its IPO in 2018.

Schacht began his career at Eli Lilly and Company, where he spent 25 years in roles spanning discovery chemistry, external innovation, strategy, and product development. His final role at Lilly included leading late-stage development efforts that brought Emgality—a CGRP-targeting monoclonal antibody for migraine and cluster headache prevention—to market.

He currently serves on the boards of Gallant Therapeutics, Redux Bio, and AgriNovus Indiana (Chair Emeritus), and is a member of the Indiana Biosciences Research Institute Board of Directors.

Schacht earned a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Sciences from the University of Illinois in 1990.