Genezen appoints Senior Director of Business Development to support rapid growth

Genezen, Inc., a cell and gene therapy Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) focused on early-phase process development, GMP vector production and analytical testing services, has appointed Laura Jacanin as Senior Director of Business Development.

Previously with similar roles at Wuxi, Lonza, and Cytovance, Laura has over 20 years’ experience in the life science sector and has extensive cell and gene therapies (C&GTs) and biologics expertise.

Laura will be responsible for developing and expanding Genezen’s offering of lentiviral and retroviral vectors to meet the growing demands of the C&GT market and supporting the development and production of innovative therapies to ensure they reach patients.

Commenting on her appointment, Laura said: “I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to support our clients in their quest to develop and produce life-changing therapies.

“With unique expertise in lentiviral and retroviral vectors, Genezen is focused on developing and manufacturing potentially curative C&GTs. It’s an incredibly exciting time to be part of the company as it prepares to offer extensive new capabilities to the market.”

Laura is the latest in a series of appointments at Genezen which has included: Natasha Rivas as Vice President of Quality Assurance and Regulatory Affairs; Raymond Kaczmarek as CEO; and Brok Weichbrodt as Vice President of Operations.

The appointments have been made to help drive the business’ growth alongside a new 75,000+ square foot cGMP-compliant lentiviral and retroviral vector production facility. The first phase, a process development and analytical lab, officially opened in late 2021. The next phase, with cGMP production suites, is currently underway and due to complete in early 2022.

Laura will report to Katherine Moynihan, VP of Business Development and Marketing, who added: “We are delighted to welcome Laura to the Genezen team. With her significant expertise, she will play a pivotal role as we expand our service offering and support our partners.”

The Genezen team offers the guidance, expertise, technology, and cGMP manufacturing capacity to help bring viral vector therapy to patients with accuracy and speed.