Bouwien Smits Joins Civica Rx as Site Vice President and General Manager of New Virginia Manufacturing Facility

Industry veteran will run state-of-the-art production of low-cost insulin, dozens of other medicines

PETERSBURG, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Civica Inc. (Civica, Civica Rx) is proud to announce that pharmaceutical industry leader Bouwien Smits has joined Civica as the new Site Vice President and General Manager of the company’s new sterile injectable manufacturing facility.

Smits has over 25 years of experience, including working with aseptic products and injectable drugs, alongside critical expertise in facility and equipment qualification, system implementation, and process validation.

“Bouwien is joining us at a critical moment in the startup process for Civica’s first manufacturing facility,” said Jay Benson, Civica’s Chief Manufacturing and Supply Chain Officer. “Her phenomenal leadership skills and experience with the types of products we are preparing to manufacture in Petersburg make her an invaluable addition to our team. She will be a tremendous asset as we move toward our dream of making essential generic medications available and affordable to everyone.”

“I am very excited to be joining the team at Civica,” said Smits. “The Petersburg facility will be transformative for ensuring safe and reliable supplies of medicines for hospital systems and patients and for bringing much needed affordability into the insulin marketplace.”

Prior to joining Civica, Smits was Vice President of Quality at Sage Therapeutics. Before that, she was with Takeda, serving as the Site Quality Head, Massachusetts Biologics Operations.

About Civica

Civica Inc. (Civica Rx, Civica) is a nonprofit, 501(c)(4) social welfare organization established in 2018 by health systems and philanthropies to increase the reliability of the drug supply chain by reducing drug shortages and related high prices in the United States. An experienced team of healthcare and pharmaceutical industry leaders is at the helm of the organization.

Civica’s mission is to ensure that quality generic medications are accessible and affordable to everyone. Today, more than 55 health systems have joined Civica. They represent more than 1,500 hospitals and one third of all U.S. hospital beds. Most recently, Civica announced its plans to provide affordable medications for consumers in an outpatient setting, including affordable insulin. Civica insulin will be available to people with diabetes at significantly lower prices than insulins currently on the market - no more than $30 per vial and $55 per pack of five pens.

Civica’s nearly completed essential medicines manufacturing facility in Petersburg, Virginia, will produce sterile injectable medications used in hospitals for emergency room and intensive-care unit treatments, surgeries, and to treat other serious conditions. This facility will also manufacture insulin vials and prefilled pens for nationwide distribution.

Debbi Ford, Communications
Debbi.ford@civicarx.org