eGenesis, a biotechnology company using breakthrough gene editing technologies for the development of safe and effective human-compatible organs, tissues, and cells to address the global organ shortage, today announced that Peter Hanson, DVM, Ph.D., has been appointed as Chief Operating Officer (COO). Dr. Hanson will assume responsibility for directing eGenesis’ day-to-day organizational and operational activities including production and manufacturing.
“Peter is a highly experienced biopharmaceutical executive across multiple disciplines, which will be critical to support our next phase of growth as we integrate production and R&D,” said Paul Sekhri, President and Chief Executive Officer of eGenesis. “Peter’s operational leadership and veterinary knowledge will help us accelerate our product development as we move closer to IND filing for human clinical studies. We are very grateful for Kenneth Fan’s many contributions as our founding COO. I am delighted that he will continue to serve as an advisor to the company.”
Dr. Hanson joins eGenesis with more than 20 years of management experience as a biopharmaceutical executive. He was most recently Chief Development Operations Officer at Centrexion Therapeutics, where he oversaw clinical operations and manufacturing development activities. During his tenure, Centrexion obtained Fast Track Designation from the FDA and completed Phase 3 trials in the U.S. and EU for its lead candidate. Previously, Dr. Hanson was Head of R&D and Medical Affairs in animal health at Abbott Laboratories, where he worked closely with contract research organizations and third–party manufacturers to further global business growth and innovation. Prior to Abbott, he held several positions of increasing responsibility at Merial that culminated in becoming global head of project and portfolio management. In this role, he led vaccine and pharmaceutical development projects for companion and production animals.
Dr. Hanson holds a B.A. in biology and earned his DVM from the College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota. After obtaining his doctorate, he was an associate veterinarian at the Equine and Small Animal Medical Center in Lakeville, Minnesota, before completing a large animal surgery residency and earning an M.S. and Ph.D. in veterinary science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he studied allograft bone transplantation. The 2006 winner of the Animal Pharm Industry Excellence Award for Best New Veterinary Product, Dr. Hanson has received various industry and management accolades. He is also an author on 29 manuscripts and seven patent filings. He has been a member of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons since 1996 and the American Veterinary Medical Association since 1989.
About Transplantation and Xenotransplantation
The demand for lifesaving organs far outnumbers available supply. In the U.S. today, 20 people die every day due to lack of available organs for transplant and every 10 minutes an additional name is added to the national transplant waitlist. There are more than 110,000 people in need of an organ transplant in the U.S. alone.
The concept of xenotransplantation, or the transplantation of organs, tissue and cells from one species to another, has been explored for several decades, with the pig considered the most suitable donor for humans. However, until the development of modern gene editing tools, hurdles related to virology and immunology have prevented porcine organ xenotransplantation from advancing beyond early preclinical research.
About eGenesis
eGenesis’ goal is to advance the field of transplantation and make available safe and reliable organs, tissues, and cells to patients in need. eGenesis uses gene editing technology such as CRISPR to directly address the key virology and immunology hurdles that have impeded xenotransplantation to date. eGenesis is advancing an initial product toward the clinic for kidney transplant, with the longer-term potential of addressing a broader organ recipient population and expanding the applicability of xenotransplantation into other areas such as cell therapy. Learn more at egenesisbio.com.
Contacts:
Media
Ryo Imai / Robert Flamm, Ph.D.
Burns McClellan, Inc.
212-213-0006 ext. 315 / 364
Rimai@burnsmc.com / rflamm@burnsmc.com
Investors
Steve Klass
Burns McClellan, Inc.
212-213-0006
Sklass@burnsmc.com