Tozaro, based in Bedford, U.K., formed a technical advisory board (TAB) to provide strategic guidance around commercialization and further development of the company’s smart polymer platform for applications in cell and gene therapy (CGT) chromatography and bio-separation processes. Members of the TAB include Phil Vanek, PhD, as chair, Carl Schoellhammer, PhD, Daniel C. Smith, PhD, and Nick Clarkson, DPhil.
Tozaro’s smart polymers are rationally designed and chemically produced “to go beyond the limits of their biological counterparts,” comments Jason Slingsby, PhD, CEO, Tozaro. Utilizing a combination of molecular modeling, machine learning and advanced chemistry, the reagents are strategically designed to target a specific region of a virus or cell to best suit the end application, he explains. Slingsby adds that smart polymers can be developed with affinities ranging from millimolar to picomolar depending on the application, with high affinity polymers best suited to analytical applications while lower affinity polymers allow for capture chromatography with gentle elution of viral vectors.
“The TAB members bring deep knowledge and experience of the advanced therapy landscape, including the significant pain points that exist, especially around viral vector manufacturing,” says Slingsby. “Our smart polymer platform can support advanced medicine manufacturing in many ways, but our current focus is on improving viral vector purification to increase efficiencies and lower manufacturing costs. The TAB will play a pivotal role in steering our technical development and market engagement in the most productive direction.”
“Cell and gene therapies offer exciting and potentially curative treatments for patients but are currently constrained by complex and inefficient manufacturing strategies. Improved viral vector specific reagents will make a significant difference,” predicts Michele Pedrocchi PhD, chair of the board, Tozaro.
Phil Vanek, PhD, is currently partner and CTO at Gamma Biosciences. He previously held a leadership position within Cytiva’s cell and gene therapy business.
Vanek is also a board member of CCRM Enterprises in Toronto, Canada, and the Foundation for Cell and Gene Medicine, as well as serving as a mentor for the Creative Destruction Lab entrepreneurship program, and an advisor to several other life sciences companies.
Carl Schoellhammer, PhD, leads DeciBio’s advanced therapies practice. He has executed projects ranging from pipeline prioritization/life cycle management, indication road mapping, growth strategy, and M&A projects across healthcare, life science tools, and pharma (cell and gene therapies). Prior to DeciBio, Carl co-founded and led Suono Bio, a venture-backed startup.
Daniel C. Smith, PhD, was CSO at the UK/Sweden based CDMO Cobra Biologics, both prior to and during its acquisitions by Cognate Bioservices and Charles River Laboratories. He is currently CSO at That’s Nice, an agency specializing in marketing in the life sciences.
Nick Clarkson, DPhil, has over 20 years of experience in R&D in cell and gene therapy and immunology, including basic research and development in viral vector manufacturing platforms, through to scaleup for GMP manufacturing and validation for commercial products. He is currently vice president and head of process development at OXB, a viral vector CDMO.
The post Tozaro Forms Technical Advisory Board to Boost Smart Polymer Business in Cell/Gene Therapy Bioprocessing appeared first on GEN - Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News.
Tozaro’s smart polymers are rationally designed and chemically produced “to go beyond the limits of their biological counterparts,” comments Jason Slingsby, PhD, CEO, Tozaro. Utilizing a combination of molecular modeling, machine learning and advanced chemistry, the reagents are strategically designed to target a specific region of a virus or cell to best suit the end application, he explains. Slingsby adds that smart polymers can be developed with affinities ranging from millimolar to picomolar depending on the application, with high affinity polymers best suited to analytical applications while lower affinity polymers allow for capture chromatography with gentle elution of viral vectors.
“The TAB members bring deep knowledge and experience of the advanced therapy landscape, including the significant pain points that exist, especially around viral vector manufacturing,” says Slingsby. “Our smart polymer platform can support advanced medicine manufacturing in many ways, but our current focus is on improving viral vector purification to increase efficiencies and lower manufacturing costs. The TAB will play a pivotal role in steering our technical development and market engagement in the most productive direction.”
“Cell and gene therapies offer exciting and potentially curative treatments for patients but are currently constrained by complex and inefficient manufacturing strategies. Improved viral vector specific reagents will make a significant difference,” predicts Michele Pedrocchi PhD, chair of the board, Tozaro.
TAB members
Phil Vanek, PhD, is currently partner and CTO at Gamma Biosciences. He previously held a leadership position within Cytiva’s cell and gene therapy business.
Vanek is also a board member of CCRM Enterprises in Toronto, Canada, and the Foundation for Cell and Gene Medicine, as well as serving as a mentor for the Creative Destruction Lab entrepreneurship program, and an advisor to several other life sciences companies.
Carl Schoellhammer, PhD, leads DeciBio’s advanced therapies practice. He has executed projects ranging from pipeline prioritization/life cycle management, indication road mapping, growth strategy, and M&A projects across healthcare, life science tools, and pharma (cell and gene therapies). Prior to DeciBio, Carl co-founded and led Suono Bio, a venture-backed startup.
Daniel C. Smith, PhD, was CSO at the UK/Sweden based CDMO Cobra Biologics, both prior to and during its acquisitions by Cognate Bioservices and Charles River Laboratories. He is currently CSO at That’s Nice, an agency specializing in marketing in the life sciences.
Nick Clarkson, DPhil, has over 20 years of experience in R&D in cell and gene therapy and immunology, including basic research and development in viral vector manufacturing platforms, through to scaleup for GMP manufacturing and validation for commercial products. He is currently vice president and head of process development at OXB, a viral vector CDMO.
The post Tozaro Forms Technical Advisory Board to Boost Smart Polymer Business in Cell/Gene Therapy Bioprocessing appeared first on GEN - Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News.