Yposkesi reinforces team with three executive appointments

Appointments of Louis-Marie de Montgrand as chief operating officer, Christophe Cambouris as chief commercial officer and Morad El Gueddari as chief pharmacist and head of quality are integral to the CDMO’s transformation to becoming a global industrial viral vector manufacturer

Corbeil-Essonnes, France, July 12, 2022 – Yposkesi, SK pharmteco’s clinical and commercial viral vector manufacturing arm for cell and gene therapies (“C&GT”), today announces three executive appointments: Louis-Marie de Montgrand as chief operating officer, Christophe Cambouris as chief commercial officer and, in a lateral move, Morad El Gueddari, formerly head of operations, as chief pharmacist and head of quality.

With more than 1,000 cell and gene therapies currently in development and 50–75 therapies expected to be approved in the US by 2030, viral vector manufacturing is rapidly expanding to address the need for the commercial production of these therapies.

The new appointments at Yposkesi are being made as the CDMO (Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization) ramps up its commercial production capacity and implements best practice industrial operations, standards and quality systems. The company aims to produce and certify commercial batches in 2024, when its second 5,000m²  (50,000ft²) bioproduction facility, which is nearing completion, will be fully operational.

“We are really thrilled to welcome Louis-Marie and Christophe to the Yposkesi team today and we heartily congratulate Morad on his new role,” said Alain Lamproye, executive chairman and CEO of Yposkesi.

“There are exciting developments taking place at Yposkesi, all aimed at meeting the diverse needs of early to late-stage gene therapy developers, accompanying customers through all phases from clinical to commercial and ensuring the utmost client satisfaction. Louis-Marie’s breadth of expertise in managing operations in pharmaceutical companies, notably in cell & gene therapies, will be effective in achieving our bioproduction goals to the highest quality standards. Christophe’s experience and expertise in C&GT, coupled with the boots on the ground support of the US commercial team, will enable Yposkesi to address customer needs on both sides of the Atlantic.”

Mr. de Montgrand brings to Yposkesi more than 20 years’ experience leading operations within the biopharma industry, notably working with major industrial players and CDMOs including Sanofi, GSK, ThermoFisher Scientific and Novasep.

Mr. Cambouris also joins Yposkesi with more than 20 years’ business experience in C&GT, including close to 15 years at a biomedical research provider advancing cellular therapy, where he held directorship roles in strategic accounts and in sales and marketing. He has a strong scientific background in immunology and C&GT.

“Our long-time colleague Morad combines a wealth of expertise and skillsets in both operations and quality management, experience he has shared with the team over the past four years as head of operations and production director at Yposkesi. He gained previous production experience at a major pharmaceutical group. Morad’s appointment as head of quality and chief pharmacist is a great step forward for the company,” added Lamproye.

About Yposkesi

Yposkesi, an SK pharmteco company, is one of the largest C&GT CDMO’s in Europe. Dedicated to viral vector manufacturing for gene therapy, Yposkesi is a one-stop shop offering a full range of services for lentiviral vectors & AAV (Adeno-Associated Virus) manufacturing: feasibility study, bioprocess development (upstream/downstream & fill and finish), analytical development, small/pilot to large-scale production, cGMP manufacturing of clinical batches, quality control & assurance and regulatory support. With a current 50,000ft² (approx. 5,000m²) footprint, Yposkesi’s facility operates multiple manufacturing suites for bulk drug substances (up to 1,000L) and Fill & Finish. By 2023, the company will increase its global footprint to 100,000ft² (approx. 10,000m²) with the construction of a second large-scale facility designed for EMA and FDA compliance. Yposkesi sustainably invests in bioprocessing innovation in order to deliver high quality gene-modified cell therapies and in vivo gene therapy projects. Yposkesi employs around 200 people and is located on the Genopole Campus in Corbeil-Essonnes (South of Paris), France.

www.yposkesi.com