Selexis SA has made some personnel updates to support its expanding base of partners who rely on its SUREtechnology platform to advance complex biologics and vaccines. Specifically, the company promoted Yemi Onakunle and Marco Bocci to senior vice presidents of licensing and business development and has broadened its team in the U.S., with Boston- and San Francisco-based business development professionals. Additionally, the company has increased its investment in the Beacon optofluidic and single cell analysis technology from Berkeley Lights. Selexis’ global partners are utilizing Selexis technologies to advance 115 drug products in clinical development and in the manufacture of four commercial products.
 
Dr. Onakunle, who has led U.S. business development efforts at Selexis since 2012, will foster the company’s expanded reach with the addition of Jessica Bosc, Boston-based director of business development and licensing, and Samuel Rubin, San Francisco-based manager of business development and licensing. The company also plans to expand the European business development team under the leadership of Dr. Bocci, who has led European business development and licensing efforts since 2013.
 
Selexis has acquired additional Beacon optofluidic and single cell analysis platforms from Berkeley Lights to capitalize on the timeline advantages seen following the announcement of its initial collaboration in October 2018. Utilizing the technology, Selexis continues its dedication to shortening the time required to identify and select the optimal cell line manufacturing clones and help further accelerate its partners’ drug candidates to the clinic and into commercialization.
 
An additional biosimilar manufactured with Selexis’ SUREtechnology Platform is now on the market, bringing Selexis’ pipeline to four marketed products in the areas of autoimmune/inflammatory diseases and cancer.
 
“We continue to witness the successful integration of Selexis’ cell line development technologies into our partners’ drug candidates as the expression challenges of complex and non-natural proteins mount,” said Igor Fisch, chief executive officer, Selexis. “It’s clearly the right time to grow and expand our business development efforts and to further innovate our cell line development tools. With Yemi and Marco at the helm of our business development efforts, and our expanded presence in two of the leading U.S. life sciences hubs, we are better positioned to expand our reach into untapped markets and drive the potential of our technology in new areas. These important appointments, coupled with the accelerated development timelines we can offer through Beacon’s digital cell biology platform, will only solidify our place as a premier cell line development partner.”