Yposkesi welcomes Brian Mullan, PhD, as director of innovation, analytical and process development

Corbeil-Essonnes, (near Paris), France, November 30, 2020 – Yposkesi, a leading Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) for preferred access and reserved capacity in cGMP grade viral vector production, today announces the appointment of Brian Mullan, PhD, as director of innovation, analytical and process development.

Dr. Mullan joins Yposkesi at a time when the company is doubling its manufacturing footprint to provide much needed capacity to gene therapy developers seeking to advance clinical trials and commercialize new therapeutic drugs. The growing demand for viral vectors in the cell and gene therapy sector and the need to scale-up manufacturing are well-documented. Dr. Mullan’s significant experience in new biologics manufacturing and capacity expansion will help accelerate Yposkesi’s increase in overall capacity and capabilities.

“Yposkesi is excited to have Brian onboard. In addition to his extensive background in virology and viral vectors, and impressive career in big pharma, he brings highly sought-after expertise in process & analytical development of biologics,” said Alain Lamproye, executive chairman of Yposkesi. “For new therapies, manufacturing has become an essential part of the drug development process. His skillset will be instrumental in helping customers in transforming a drug from a biological concept to a treatment that can be manufactured at large-scale, furthering Yposkesi’s growth and continued success.”

Dr. Mullan’s primary objectives at Yposkesi will be to consolidate the analytical and process development teams. This includes establishing programs for process validation and CMC (Chemistry, Manufacturing and Control) pathways to regulatory approval.

“I am extremely happy to be joining Yposkesi at this important time in its growth,” said Dr. Mullan. “The future in this field is exciting, as the overall demand for novel classes of therapeutics continues to rise. The fundamental pillars at Yposkesi are already in place for us to successfully partner with clients, enabling them to bring the commercial potential of their therapies to fruition. The energy and the engagement of the teams at Yposkesi are remarkable. I look forward to leveraging my experience in commercializing biotherapeutics to enable us to bring these important medicines to market for our clients.”

With over 20 years’ experience working with large multinational companies, including big pharma, Dr. Mullan has held leadership roles in late phase process development, product launch, commercial supply, process optimization and troubleshooting, and post-approval change management in multiple global markets for therapeutic monoclonal antibodies. He spent the last eight years at Novartis, where he held posts as head of manufacturing science and technology and as a global technical project leader. Between 2008 and 2012, he was process tech transfer lead at Eli Lilly. Prior to that, he worked at Centocor Biologics for nearly three years and Sanofi-Aventis for close to four years. He earned a PhD in Viral Genetics from University College Cork in 2001 and an MBA from the Open University Business School in 2011. He conducted industrial post-doctoral work in gene therapy vectors – Adenoviral and Adeno-Associated Virus (AAV) at Sanofi-Aventis.

About Yposkesi

Yposkesi is a leading Contract Development & Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) for gene therapy vector manufacturing. Created in November 2016 in Corbeil-Essonnes (France) by AFM-Telethon and the SPI fund managed by Bpifrance, Yposkesi provides integrated services covering bioprocess development (USP & DSP) from small/pilot to large-scale production, analytical development, GMP manufacturing of lentiviral and AAV vectors and regulatory support. Its current facility consists of a 50,000ft² (approx. 5,000m²) building, operating multiple manufacturing suites for bulk drug substance and Fill & Finish. By 2022, Yposkesi will increase its global footprint to 100,000ft² (approx. 10,000m²) with a second large-scale facility designed for EMA and FDA compliance. Capitalizing on the more than 25 years’ expertise of Genethon, Yposkesi invests significantly in innovation in bioprocessing to deliver on high-quality projects, cost-effectively.

www.yposkesi.com