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| Richard Kensinger, left, vice president of R&D project management at SK Bioscience USA, and Kenneth Lee, vice president of biologic business development at SK Bioscience / Courtesy of SK Bioscience |
By Baek Byung-yeul
SK Bioscience, developer of SKYCovione, Korea's first COVID-19 vaccine, has recruited renowned executives who have worked for global biopharmaceutical companies as part of its efforts to advance into the global market and diversify, according to the company, Friday.
The company said it appointed Richard Kensinger as vice president of R&D project management at its U.S. branch, SK Bioscience USA.
Kensinger has over 20 years of experience in the global bio industry, having served as a global bioprocess expert at global healthcare company Sanofi Pasteur. He also worked as an executive director of process development and protein sciences at Affinivax, which was acquired recently by GSK.
He will be in charge of managing SK's global R&D projects and seeking joint research opportunities with global partners.
SK Bioscience said it expects Kensinger to upgrade its manufacturing process system to a top global level to help it expand into the U.S. bio market.
Given that Korean companies essentially need to earn Current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) certification from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which is considered the most demanding standard in the world, this appointment clearly shows SK Bioscience aims to expand its global competitiveness.
The company also appointed Kenneth Lee as vice president of Biologic Business Development at the company's R&D center in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province.
Lee previously worked in R&D, business development and M&As at global bio companies such as Gilead Sciences, CrystalGenomics, BioMarin Pharmaceutical, Binex and Samsung Bioepis.
Before joining SK Bioscience, he worked for GenScript Probio, which specializes in cell and gene therapy (CGT) and contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) businesses.
"Based on his specialty in CGT, we expect Lee to play a crucial role in securing the CGT platform and discovering non-vaccine bio businesses," the company said.
SK Bioscience anticipates that the recent recruitment of executives who have worked for global biopharmaceutical companies will help improve its capability and help make inroads into the global market including the U.S. and Europe.
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