Catalent Announces Cell & Gene Therapy Leaders

Catalent announced several leadership changes in its cell and gene therapy business in an April 30, 2020 statement. Manja Boerman has been named president, Cell & Gene Therapy, effective June 1, 2020 and will lead the company’s global cell and gene therapy businesses; she will continue to report to Karen Flynn, Catalent’s president of biologics and chief commercial officer. Boerman has led Catalent’s cell therapy business since the acquisition of MaSTherCell in February 2020.

Pete Buzy, who has led the Catalent Gene Therapy business since the company’s acquisition of Paragon Bioservices in May 2019, will retire, but will remain as chairman of Catalent Gene Therapy in an advisory capacity for 12 months.

Mario Gargiulo will succeed Boerman as Region President, Biologics–Europe; he has been appointed to the company’s Executive Leadership Team and will continue to oversee operations for all Catalent Biologics sites globally.

“Working in concert and under Manja’s strong leadership, our cell and gene therapy businesses will continue their substantial growth and maturation over the past 12 months and further extend our leadership position in the biotech industry,” said Flynn, in an April 30 press statement. “We are excited to have high-performing talent in place to drive our cell and gene therapy businesses to the next stage in their natural evolution and development as we continue to expand and enhance our innovative solutions for our customers and fulfill our mission in helping people live better, healthier lives.”
  
Boerman, who joined Catalent in December 2019, has more than 20 years’ experience in biotech and pharmaceutical services, including experience with start-up environments and global late-stage clinical development for cell therapy products. She previously served as president of Aesica Pharmaceuticals, CEO for a Netherlands-based biotech, executive director for Charles Rivers Laboratories, and president of Patheon Biologics. She holds a doctorate in biochemistry from the State University of New York–Buffalo.

Since he joined Catalent in 2017, Gargiulo has held a number of leadership roles, most recently as vice-president of operations, Biologics. He previously worked for Merck & Co.’s external manufacturing organization and Bristol Myers Squibb. Mario holds a degree in chemistry from the University of Naples, Italy.

Source: Catalent