122. New vision for cell & gene therapy, Andrew Sandford & Michael Paglia, ElevateBio BaseCamp

Synopsis: Andrew Sandford and Michael Paglia are the President and COO, respectively, of ElevateBio BaseCamp, a cell and gene therapy technology company powering transformative therapies. They join us from the company’s manufacturing facilities in Waltham, Massachusetts, for a discussion about the landscape of company creation in the cell and gene therapy space and how ElevateBio is helping companies bring innovation and therapeutics to clinics and patients to help treat and cure diseases. They talk about how ElevateBio is driving next-generation technologies like gene editing and regenerative medicine that empower new therapies in the industry. They also cover what they think the next two decades in this space will look like, opportunities they feel are untapped, and advice for their younger selves. Biographies: Andrew Sandford brings over 20 years of experience in building, operating, and leading life science technology and manufacturing companies and will continue to extend ElevateBio BaseCamp strategic partnerships in the field of cell and gene therapy. Prior to ElevateBio, Andrew worked in several leadership roles to oversee the successful implementation of strategic business development, marketing, and manufacturing operations. Notably, as Global Vice President of Business Development, Biologics for Catalent Pharma Solutions, Inc., his teams were responsible for driving revenue expansion, enabling the transformation of Catalent to a global biologics services provider. Prior to Catalent, Andrew held various leadership positions at Selexis Inc, Lonza Corporation, and Dow Chemical Company, creating strategic value through global business and licensing opportunities and increasing business unit profitability. Most recently, Andrew was an Executive in Residence for Anzu Partners, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of VREX Therapeutics, and Founder, Inventor and Managing Director of Arthropod Biosciences. Michael Paglia has spent the last twenty years in biotechnology building, leading and motivating process development and manufacturing teams to support clinical programs from early development to late-stage clinical trials. Currently, Michael is the Chief Operating Officer at ElevateBio BaseCamp, leading facility, process development and manufacturing operations for a broad portfolio of cell and gene therapy products and technologies. Prior to ElevateBio, Mike was the Vice President of CMC Operations at Oncorus and Program Lead for the development of a next-generation oncolytic immunotherapy platform. Prior to Oncorus, Michael was the Sr. Director of Technical Operations and Head of Cellular Process Development and Manufacturing Operations at bluebird bio.