rocket pharma RACK CEO Gaurav Shah aims to “change the narrative” when it comes to rare diseases.

“We are excited about the potential of [our] strategy to hopefully bring much-needed therapies to patients who wouldn’t otherwise get them,” he says.

Read on for the full interview as Shah discusses Rocket’s stock move, the lessons he’s learned from his previous roles at Eli Lilly and Co LLY And Novartis AG NVSwhether future M&A plans are in the works and why World Health Daywhich began in 1950 and is celebrated on April 7th is still a notable event.

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BZ: MorganStanley predicts a target stock price of $45, meaning Rocket stock will rise 150% (it closed at $16.91 per share on April 6). Does that create unnecessary pressure in an otherwise slow field that requires time and intensive research and development?

Shah: All of our clinical programs have demonstrated early and sustained safety and efficacy – an achievement unprecedented for a gene therapy company. Despite these advances, the general consensus is that Rocket is currently undervalued by the market.

It’s true that drug development is a relatively slow and capital-intensive endeavor. However, with a deep understanding of the underlying disease biology of our target indications at a fundamental level, we can more effectively optimize both our time and capital. Ultimately, our focus remains on the patients who we hope will one day benefit from our therapies. You are our polar star.

After earning an MD from Columbia, you held leadership positions at Eli Lilly and Novartis. What lessons did you take away from Rocket?

One of my greatest learnings from years of working at big pharma is the importance of listening to the US Food and drug management (FDA) and never take the breadth and depth of their experience for granted. At every step of the development of our programs, we are true collaborators for the sake of it…