Rentschler Biopharma, a global contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), has hired Kassim Kolia as Vice President, Business Development to drive new client growth for the ATMP site in Stevenage, UK.
 
Kolia brings extensive biopharmaceutical manufacturing and business development experience, including ten years in the cell and gene therapy space. Kolia most recently headed Business Development at FinVector & Oy, where he was responsible for leading strategic business development activities, including the technology portfolio. While there, he built and trained a team to focus on client engagement and also developed, implemented and led a collaboration and out/in-licensing strategy for a mix of gene therapy technologies.
 
Prior to that, Kolia worked in a similar position at Eden Biodesign Ltd/Allergan. He also has strong experience in a cGMP manufacturing environment, including at Lonza and Aptuit (part of Evotec).
 
Dr. Rob Panting, General Manager of Rentschler ATMP Ltd., said, “It is my pleasure to welcome Kassim to our team. He brings a wealth of relevant experience and has been part of the cell and gene therapy field since its infancy. As we get ready to welcome clients, I look forward to working with Kassim to grow the Rentschler ATMP business at our Stevenage site. This Center of Excellence is designed to address the ongoing gap in capacity and support for early-stage innovators in advanced therapies, and we are excited to be offering these much-needed services to clients.”
 
Kolia commented, “I am truly excited to have the opportunity to join Rentschler ATMP and to build the client base. Rentschler Biopharma has an excellent reputation and is known in the industry for its strong focus on high quality and top-notch service. I look forward to working with this team of experienced professionals in growing the business at this new site and making Rentschler ATMP a global brand.”

Progress Update at ATMP Facility

The company also provided an update on the progress made at the ATMP facility since it was established last year. The site is expected to be client ready for process development later this year.
 
In addition to manufacturing suites offering cGMP capability, the company has fully equipped lab space dedicated to process development and quality control, including cell culture capabilities for process development as well as non-GMP pilot-scale bioreactors. The company continues to grow the ATMP offering to meet client’s needs.
 
Dr. Christian Schetter, Chief Scientific Officer of Rentschler Biopharma, commented, “For 150 years, Rentschler has always been forward-looking with a focus on creating value sustainably and making innovation work for the benefit of all. Rentschler ATMP continues that history, and it is gratifying to see the progress being made at our Stevenage site.”
 
Schetter continued, “I am excited about the work Rob and the team are doing, and I know that Kassim will be a great addition as we look to support our clients in this growing area of biopharmaceuticals. We have a strong track record in partnering with clients to bring novel, challenging-to-manufacture therapeutics to patients. This expertise will be put to good use as we work in this cutting-edge area of development that offers such promise in bringing highly effective treatments to patients in urgent need of new options.”