CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — eGenesis, a biotechnology company developing genetically engineered organs for human transplantation, announced Thursday the appointment of Daniel Leblanc as chief manufacturing and supply officer as the company advances its clinical programs and prepares for potential commercialization.
Leblanc brings more than 25 years of experience in the global biopharmaceutical industry, including manufacturing, technical operations, quality management, supply chain development and commercialization.
In his new role, he will help expand eGenesis’ manufacturing capabilities, strengthen its supply chain infrastructure and support the development of genetically engineered organs intended to address the shortage of organs available for transplantation.
“Dan brings extensive expertise in manufacturing and operational strategy for innovative therapies. His leadership will be instrumental as we advance our clinical programs and prepare for future commercialization,” said Mike Curtis, Ph.D., president and CEO of eGenesis.
“His extensive experience in manufacturing strategy, process development, quality systems and commercial supply will be instrumental as we continue to build the infrastructure necessary to bring genetically engineered organs to patients in need,” Curtis added.
Before joining eGenesis, Leblanc served as chief technology officer at Ensoma, where he helped establish the company’s technical operations, quality systems and supply chain functions.
He also developed an external manufacturing network to support the advancement of Ensoma’s in vivo gene therapy platform into clinical development.
Previously, Leblanc held several senior leadership positions at Flexion Therapeutics, most recently serving as senior vice president of chemistry, manufacturing and controls operations.
At Flexion, he played a significant role in the development, manufacturing scale-up and commercialization of Zilretta, an extended-release injectable therapy. His responsibilities included managing manufacturing process changes and supporting the transfer of production between facilities.
Earlier in his career, Leblanc held manufacturing and technical operations leadership positions at Merck Serono and Alkermes.
“eGenesis is at the forefront of the treatment of organ failure, and I am excited to join the company at such an important stage in its development,” Leblanc said.
“The progress eGenesis has made in advancing genetically engineered organs into the clinic underscores the tremendous potential of this technology. I look forward to working with the team to further strengthen our manufacturing capabilities, establish scalable operations and support the company’s mission of making life-saving organ transplants available to more patients,” he added.
Leblanc earned an executive master’s degree in technology management from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School and School of Engineering and Applied Science. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Syracuse University.
His appointment comes as eGenesis advances its lead product candidate, EGEN-2784, a genetically engineered pig kidney designed for transplantation into patients experiencing kidney failure.
The company has received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to begin a Phase 1/2/3 clinical trial evaluating EGEN-2784.
eGenesis is also developing additional genetically engineered organ products targeting liver and heart failure.
The Cambridge-based company specializes in xenotransplantation, an emerging field that seeks to address organ shortages by using genetically modified animal organs for human transplantation.
Through its research and clinical development programs, eGenesis aims to expand access to potentially life-saving transplants for patients with advanced organ failure.
