ViroCell expands business development team to support next phase of growth
Traci Kyes and Makis Sigalas bring extensive industry experience to roles focused on expanding ViroCell’s business in the US and Europe
Team ViroCell will be attending the Cell & Gene Therapy Meeting on the Mesa, 10-12 October 2023
London, UK and New York, US, 4 October 2023 – ViroCell Biologics (“ViroCell” or the “Company”), a specialist contract development and manufacturing organisation (“CDMO”) in cell and gene therapy clinical trials, announces the appointment of Traci Kyes as Vice President (VP) of Business Development (US) and Makis Sigalas as Senior Business Development Director (Europe). Focused on driving growth in the US and Europe, respectively, Traci and Makis bring a wealth of business development expertise to ViroCell from roles across CMDO businesses focused on cell and gene therapy.
Joining ViroCell to accelerate business growth across Europe, Makis brings over 25 years of biopharmaceutical experience marked by contributions to the development of innovative biotechnology products and successful businesses. Most recently, he was Director of Business Development at Catalent Cell and Gene Therapy (“Catalent”, NYSE: CTLT), a CDMO specialising in advanced therapeutics. Before this, Makis worked at the UK’s Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult as a Business Development Manager. In both roles, Makis was focused on forging and maintaining relationships with cell and gene therapy clients to ensure continued business growth. Makis is also a founding partner of Omnigen Biotechnologies, the first licensed umbilical cord stem cell bank in Greece, and Theracell Advanced Biotechnology, a regenerative medicine company focusing on the development of advanced technologies for bone and soft tissue repair. Makis gained a PhD in Molecular Oncology from Newcastle University, having obtained a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Athens. He then undertook post-doctoral research at Harvard Medical School where he developed novel genetic diagnostic techniques for colon and breast cancer.
Traci has a proven track record of identifying and managing operational and commercial opportunities for life sciences CDMOs and will leverage this to lead ViroCell’s business growth in the US. She joins from her position as Director of Global Business Development within the Viral Vector Service team at Thermo Fisher Scientific (NYSE: TMO), which provides leading viral vector CDMO services for cell and gene therapies. Prior to this, Traci was the Director of Business Development and later VP of Commercial Operations at Arranta Bio, a biotechnology research CDMO that partners with companies to facilitate the development and commercialisation of novel therapies. Traci also previously worked as a Business Development Director at Brammer Bio, a viral vector manufacturer for cell and gene therapies, which was acquired by Thermo Fisher for $1.7 billion in 2019. Traci gained a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Duke University.
John W. Hadden II, CEO at ViroCell, commented, “We are thrilled to welcome Traci and Makis to the business development team at ViroCell, significantly strengthening our capabilities and expanding our opportunities in two of our key markets. As we scale and seek to become the partner of choice for cell and gene therapy innovators, the operational and developmental expertise that Traci brings, combined with Makis’ entrepreneurial experience, will be invaluable in shaping ViroCell’s future.”
Traci Kyes, incoming VP of Business Development (US) at ViroCell, commented, “I’m excited to be joining ViroCell as it embarks on its next phase of growth as a specialist cell and gene therapy CDMO. I look forward to embedding myself into the team and working alongside industry experts to deliver an exciting growth strategy, with a particular focus on building our US business.”
Makis Sigalas, incoming Senior Business Development Director (Europe) at ViroCell, added, "ViroCell is an innovation-driven CDMO that can positively impact patients around the world by supporting cell and gene therapy development with its experience and state-of-the-art facilities. Europe has an exciting cell and gene therapy ecosystem that ViroCell’s services could help accelerate and I am delighted to be a part of this journey alongside the members of Team ViroCell."
These appointments are the latest in a series of key additions to the team, following the recent announcement of Brian Collins as Chief Financial Officer (“CFO”), previously CFO of the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult, and John Dawson CBE, previously Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) of Oxford Biomedica (LSE: OXB), as Non-Executive Chairman. The ViroCell team will be attending the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine’s Cell & Gene Meeting on the Mesa in Carlsbad, California, US, on 10-12 October 2023. If you would like to schedule a meeting to learn more about the Company’s unique service offering, please contact info@virocell.com.
ViroCell
ViroCell Biologics is an innovation-driven Contract Development and Manufacturing Organisation (“CDMO”) focused exclusively on the design and GMP manufacture of viral vectors for clinical trials. Built around one of the most prolific academic viral vector manufacturing teams, ViroCell was created to address the global demand for precisely engineered viral vectors and aims to become the partner of choice for companies developing cell and gene therapies. The team leverages its deep track record to help clients to de-risk and accelerate novel cell and gene therapies into and through clinical development, with a mission of being the partner of choice for corporate and academic innovators in this field. Focused initially on manufacturing lentivirus, gamma-retrovirus, and AAV vectors, ViroCell enables clients to start clinical trials on a scalable platform, delivering value by reducing costs, time and regulatory risk.
ViroCell’s state-of-the-art vector manufacturing facility is based at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children’s (“GOSH”) Zayed Centre for Research (“ZCR”), with ViroCell working in partnership with GOSH to address the global demand for viral vectors.
