Genezen, a cell and gene therapy Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) specializing in lentiviral and retroviral vector manufacturing, has appointed Jeff Whitmore as chief commercial officer (CCO).
 
With a career in biotechnology spanning over 25 years, Whitmore joins Genezen from mRNA Therapeutic CDMO, TriLink BioTechnologies, part of Maravai LifeSciences, where he most recently served as vice president of Commercial Operations and had responsibility for commercial expansion and strategy. Prior to this, he held leadership positions at biostability technology company, Biomatrica, and immunodiagnostics maker, Singulex.
 
Looking to bolster the buildout of Genezen’s commercial presence, Whitmore will maximize growth opportunities at the organization’s recently expanded viral vector process development and cGMP production facility in Fishers, Indiana (US). His leadership will help clients and customers take advantage of the facility’s enhanced capabilities and increased capacity in a shared goal to bring life-saving therapies to market. 
 
Ray Kaczmarek, CEO at Genezen said: “We are excited for Jeff to join the Genezen team. He brings a proven track record of streamlining and accelerating organizational growth, creating value for both customers and shareholders. His tremendous leadership presence, strong strategic focus, and great understanding of how to partner with our customers will be extremely important as we bring critical life-saving therapies to the clinic.”
 
Commenting on his appointment, Whitmore said: “Genezen’s new facility is state of the art and demonstrates their commitment to being a leader in the development and manufacture of lentiviral and retroviral vectors. It is an exciting time to join the team.
 
“I am passionate about helping life sciences organizations achieve scalable and sustainable growth and I look forward to injecting this passion into my new role as CCO. Following Genezen’s latest expansion, I look forward to connecting biopharma companies with the capabilities and capacity they need to bring their products to market and fastrack conversion of their concepts to commercialization.”
 
Whitmore’s appointment comes following a significant period of growth for the organization as demand for lentiviral and retroviral GMP vectors continues to rise. During his time at TriLink, Whitmore was instrumental in successfully guiding the firm through a rapid increase in demand for mRNA production during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. This experience will be invaluable as Genezen responds to an increase in demand for its services as it continues to focus on developing strong partnerships and improving patient lives.