Abzena Strengthens Board with Appointment of Biopharma Industry Leader, Dr Moncef Slaoui

SAN DIEGO, Jan. 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Abzena, the leading end-to-end integrated CDMO + CRO for complex biologics and bioconjugates, has today announced the appointment of Dr Moncef Slaoui, PhD, to its Board of Directors. A highly accomplished leader in the biopharmaceutical industry with over 40 years' experience, Dr Slaoui has held numerous executive leadership and board level positions, to help drug development companies through high phases of growth.

Matt Stober, CEO of Abzena said, "Dr Slaoui's exceptional track record of leadership and expertise in product innovation will be extremely valuable as we continue to grow and position ourselves as the leading drug development and manufacturing organization for complex biologics and bioconjugates. We welcome him to our board and look forward to leveraging his extensive experience in supporting high–growth pharmaceutical businesses."

 "I am thrilled to be joining Abzena's Board of Directors," said Slaoui. "Abzena is a true innovator in the CRO and CDMO space, and I look forward to helping them develop new technologies and platforms that enable the better delivery of next gen therapeutics."

"I am delighted that Moncef has accepted this position," said Geoffrey Glass, Chairman of Abzena's Board. "Moncef brings a set of highly relevant skills and experience to the board, and I look forward to working with him and our executive team as we support Abzena through its next stage of growth."

Dr Moncef Slaoui currently serves as an advisor to Medicxi and is on the Board of Directors of several companies including Cedar Health, Arcturus Therapeutics, Altesa, Zephyr AI and Vicebio. He has previously sat on biotechnology company boards for Moderna, Inc., Lonza Group AG, Galvani, and Vaxcyte.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, he served as the Chief Scientific Advisor to Operation Warp Speed, where his leadership enabled the fastest manufacturing, approval and deployment of multiple COVID-19 vaccines in the US.

Dr Slaoui spent three decades of his career at GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), where he held several senior leadership positions, including being a member of the Board of Directors of GSK PLC, Chairman of Pharmaceutical R&D, Chairman Global R&D, Vaccines & Oncology, and Chairman, Global Vaccines. During his tenure, he led GSK's Pharmaceutical R&D restructuring to improve its focus on innovation and productivity and was directly involved in the development of 14 new vaccines, including Shingrix, Cervarix, Mosquirix, Rotarix^®, and Synflorix.

Moncef holds a PhD in Molecular Biology and Immunology from the Université Libre de Bruxelles and completed his postdoctoral studies at Harvard Medical School and Tufts University. He also has an accelerated MBA from IMD in Switzerland.

About Abzena

Abzena is the leading end-to-end bioconjugate and complex biologics CDMO + CRO. From discovery through commercial launch, we support customers with fully integrated programs or individual services designed to de-risk and streamline the development of new treatments for patients in need. With the ability to tailor its strategy and customer experience to each project, Abzena develops and implements innovative solutions that enable biotech and biopharma companies to realize the full potential of their molecule and move medicines forward faster. The company has research, development, and cGMP facilities across locations in San Diego, CA, Bristol, PA, and Cambridge, UK. Abzena is owned by Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe, one of the world's leading private equity investors.

Learn more at abzena.com