Lonza Announces Scientific Advisory Board to Further Strengthen Drug Discovery Solutions & Services

• Lonza has announced the formation of a new Scientific Advisory Board to advance in vitro ADME-Tox programs within its Bioscience Business Unit
• The panel of industry and academic experts will offer strategic guidance on several research and scientific initiatives, enabling Lonza to continue meeting the complex needs of drug discovery researchers

Quote from Maureen Bunger, PhD, Senior Product Manager, Lonza:

“The ADME-Tox testing space continues to evolve at an impressive rate, and we see incredibly exciting advancements as drug developers strive for greater efficiency and early predictivity of success. By convening a select committee of esteemed experts to help guide our innovation programs, we’ll continue to stay ahead of this rapidly changing landscape and maximize our ability to support cost-efficient drug development.”

Quote from Katrin Hoeck, Director of Cell Biology, Lonza:

“With each member of the new Scientific Advisory Board has made significant and extensive contributions to their respective fields, they bring a comprehensive understanding of the myriad challenges faced by early drug discovery researchers. The new panel provides a unique opportunity to tap into a reservoir of rich knowledge, and this will ultimately allow us to further strengthen our renowned portfolio of in vitro ADME-Tox testing tools.”

Basel, Switzerland, 21 September 2020 – Lonza has today announced the formation of a new Scientific Advisory Board for its Bioscience Business Unit. The board comprises a committee of leading experts spanning industry and academia, with deep knowledge in key areas of drug discovery and development, including pharmacogenomics, mechanistic toxicity and translational medicine. The new board will play a critical role in offering unbiased guidance on Lonza’s research and scientific programs for in vitro ADME and toxicology testing. The wealth of knowledge provided by the panel will enable Lonza to continue to understand and address the evolving needs of researchers in early-stage drug development.

Late-stage drug failure can have catastrophic financial consequences, and so it is critical that pharmaceutical companies identify the most promising therapeutic candidates as early as possible in drug development. To do this, researchers are increasingly seeking new ways to effectively predict drug efficacy and safety well before candidate therapeutics enter clinical testing. In support of this effort, for several decades, Lonza has provided an extensive suite of tools and services to enable the creation of highly predictive in vitro models for the enhanced, earlier understanding of a drug’s activity. Now, with the assembly of its Scientific Advisory Board, Lonza will be leveraging an additional level of expertise to feed into the next generation of novel drug discovery products and services.

Members of the board will work closely with Lonza’s research scientists and product managers, ensuring the latest scientific knowledge and practical research requirements continue to be incorporated into all projects, and that internal activities are effectively prioritized to serve the drug discovery sector better.

The new Scientific Advisory Board consists of the following members:

Antonio Da Silva, PhD

With more than 20 years of experience in the biopharmaceutical industry, Dr. Da Silva has helped drive innovation and deliver new therapeutics in the healthcare sector. He has a background in pharmaceutical technologies, CMC analytics, molecular biology, pharmacology and translational sciences. He has held positions as Head of Innovation & New Technologies and Head of Preclinical Development for Sandoz Biopharmaceuticals and has previously occupied roles at Novartis, DIREVO Biotech, Micromet AG, and Biogen.

Merrie Mosedale, PhD

Dr. Mosedale is a research assistant professor in the Division of Pharmacotherapy and Experimental Therapeutics at the University of North Carolina and is also the assistant director of the Institute for Drug Safety Sciences, leading the Translational Pharmacogenomics Research Program. Dr.Mosedale works to solve drug safety problems by integrating cutting-edge pharmacogenomics approaches with novel in vivo, in vitro, and in silico platforms. She has been recognized for her work by the Society of Toxicology and the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics.

Raphael Nir, PhD

Dr. Nir is the Co-Founder, President and CSO of SBH Sciences and SBH Diagnostics. Formerly an Associate Principal Scientist at Schering-Plough Research Institute, Dr. Nir has extensive experience in molecular and cellular biotechnology, drug development, and good lab practice (GLP) for therapeutics. As an angel Investor and experienced biotech entrepreneur, Dr. Nir has co-founded multiple biotechnology companies and is a Managing Partner and CSO of ABI-LAB bioincubator.

Marian Raschke, PhD

Dr Raschke is head of Mechanistic Toxicology within Investigational Toxicology at Bayer AG. He received his doctorate in Nutritional Sciences from the University of Jena. After working as a postdoctoral fellow for Schering AG, he joined Bayer as a research scientist in Mechanistic and Molecular Toxicology, becoming the head of laboratory in 2012. His expertise lies in advanced cellular in vitro models for organ toxicity, in vitro toxicity testing, hepatotoxicity, mitochondrial toxicity, and safety biomarkers. In addition, he represents Toxicology as a project team member in several preclinical research and development oncology programs.

For more information about the new Scientific Advisory Board, please visit:

https://bioscience.lonza.com/scientific-advisory-board  

About Lonza

At Lonza, we combine technological innovation with world class manufacturing and process excellence. Together, these enable our customers to deliver their discoveries in the healthcare, preservation, and protection sectors.

We are a preferred global partner to the pharmaceutical, biotech and specialty ingredients markets. We work to prevent illness and promote a healthier world by enabling our customers to deliver innovative medicines that help treat or even cure a wide range of diseases. We also offer a broad range of microbial control solutions, which help to create and maintain a healthy environment.

Founded in 1897 in the Swiss Alps, Lonza today operates in 120 sites and offices in more than 35 countries. With approximately 15,500 full-time employees, we are built from high-performing teams and of individual employees who make a meaningful difference to our own business, as well as the communities in which we operate. The company generated sales of CHF 5.9 billion in 2019 with a CORE EBITDA of CHF 1.6 billion. Find out more at www.lonza.com and follow us on Twitter @LonzaGroup or Facebook @LonzaGroupAG.

Lonza Contact Details

Dr. Sanna Fowler

Head of External Communications

Lonza Group Ltd

Tel +41 61 316 8929

sanna.fowler@lonza.com

Dirk Oehlers

Investor Relations

Lonza Group Ltd

Tel +41 79 421 1609 

dirk.oehlers@lonza.com

Additional Information and Disclaimer

Lonza Group Ltd has its headquarters in Basel, Switzerland, and is listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange. It has a secondary listing on the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limited (“SGX-ST”). Lonza Group Ltd is not subject to the SGX-ST’s continuing listing requirements but remains subject to Rules 217 and 751 of the SGX-ST Listing Manual.

Certain matters discussed in this news release may constitute forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations and estimates of Lonza Group Ltd, although Lonza Group Ltd can give no assurance that these expectations and estimates will be achieved. Investors are cautioned that all forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainty and are qualified in their entirety. The actual results may differ materially in the future from the forward-looking statements included in this news release due to various factors. Furthermore, except as otherwise required by law, Lonza Group Ltd disclaims any intention or obligation to update the statements contained in this news release.