New hires Meredith Brown and Elaine Rihn aim to revolutionize ViroCell Biologics' growth strategy

In a strategic move to enhance its presence in the U.S. market, ViroCell Biologics, a company exclusively focused on cell and gene therapy manufacturing, announced the expansion of its business development team. This announcement was made public on December 16, 2024. The appointments of Meredith Brown as Senior Director and Elaine Rihn as Director of Business Development, both of whom previously worked at Lonza Inc., are expected to drive further growth for the organization. Their backgrounds in generating commercial contracts and their extensive experience in cell and gene therapy are crucial for ViroCell as it navigates the competitive landscape of viral vector manufacturing. Meredith Brown's role will leverage her expertise in business development and venture capital within biotech. Having previously served as Director of Business Development and Account Management at Lonza, she is well-familiar with the demands of contract development and manufacturing. Her past achievements include launching a start-up focused on delivering vectors for various therapeutic applications. This insight is particularly relevant because ViroCell aims to offer innovative viral vector design and manufacturing services to its clients, accelerating the development of novel therapies. Elaine Rihn joins ViroCell with over 15 years of experience in commercial development specifically in the cell and gene technology sector. Her recent position at Lonza Inc. required her to focus on technology capabilities in gene, viral, and cell therapies, particularly in the context of collaborating with customers to provide clinical phase service solutions. Before her tenure at Lonza, Elaine worked at Gamida Cell Ltd. and held significant roles at Lonza Walkersville Inc., which involved overseeing projects in cell and gene therapy. Her knowledge and established relationships will be instrumental for ViroCell as they seek to expand their market share and enhance customer engagement. ViroCell’s strategy to appoint these experienced professionals aligns with the company’s mission to be the partner of choice for innovators in the cell and gene therapy field. With an increasing demand for precisely engineered viral vectors to support clinical trials, their arrival reflects ViroCell's commitment to securing its position in a competitive market. John W. Hadden II, the CEO, expressed optimism over the appointments, highlighting the strong commercial traction ViroCell has observed in its efforts to operate in the viral vector manufacturing industry. The combined experience of Meredith and Elaine is expected to facilitate ViroCell’s advancement in securing commercial results within this domain.