OXB Highlights the Launch of its Innovation and Technology Excellence Board

Oxford, UK - 03 June 2025: OXB (LSE: OXB) ("the Company"), a global quality and innovation-led cell and gene therapy CDMO, today highlights the launch of its Innovation and Technology Excellence Board (ITEB). The ITEB brings together leading experts in cell and gene therapy, scientific innovation, and advanced manufacturing. It will advise OXB on technology priorities, innovation opportunities and emerging trends that support the Company's growth as a pure-play CDMO.

The newly formed advisory board, which held its inaugural meeting last month, will identify opportunities to enhance scientific capabilities to ensure that OXB remains at the forefront of developing innovative technologies. This strategic insight will allow OXB to further enhance its value proposition to clients, while strengthening its market-leading position in the cell and gene therapy space.

Dr. Frank Mathias, Chief Executive Officer of OXB, commented: "The Innovation and Technology Excellence Board marks a key step in OXB's evolution as a pure-play CDMO focused on delivering best-in-class innovation for our clients. By bringing together some of the most respected voices in cell and gene therapy and biomanufacturing, we are creating a structure that will help us stay ahead of scientific and technological change, improve the way we work, and ultimately help our clients bring transformative therapies to patients."

Professor Dame Kay Davies DPhil FRS, Chair of OXB's Innovation and Technology Excellence Board, added: "Cell and gene therapy continues to evolve quickly, and staying on top of that progress requires both scientific depth and external perspective. ITEB brings together a range of expertise to help OXB focus its innovation where it matters most: improving the way treatments are developed, manufactured and delivered. Our goal is to ensure that innovation leads to practical advances for OXB's clients and better outcomes for patients."

Founding members of OXB's Innovation and Technology Excellence Board are:

Prof. Dame Kay Davies DPhil FRS (ITEB Committee Chair and Senior Independent Non-Executive Director of OXB) is among the most respected figures in human genetics, known for her research into the molecular basis of neuromuscular and neurological disease. She is Emeritus Dr. Lee's Professor of Anatomy and Co-Director of the MDUK Oxford Neuromuscular Centre at the University of Oxford. Prof. Davies  sits on the boards of UCB S.A. and Thomas White Oxford Ltd, she co-founded Summit Therapeutics plc and served as Deputy Chair of the Wellcome Trust (2013-2017).

Prof. Uwe Buecheler, PhD, is a leading molecular biologist and biopharmaceutical executive with over 30 years of industry experience. He previously served as Head of the Biopharma Business Unit at Boehringer Ingelheim, overseeing global operations and the launch of more than 30 biologics. He is currently a Member of Supervisory Boards of Biotech companies and Non-Executive Director of BioPhorum, a company driving progress and fostering collaboration within the biopharmaceutical industry. He also chairs the Biopharma Cluster South Germany and advises biotech companies on CMC development and biomanufacturing strategy.

Prof. Bruce Levine, PhD, is the Barbara and Edward Netter Professor in Cancer Gene Therapy and Founding Director of the Clinical Cell and Vaccine Production Facility at the University of Pennsylvania. He is co-inventor of Kymriah, the first FDA-approved CAR T cell therapy for leukaemia and lymphoma and has led pioneering first-in-human trials in cell and gene therapy. He is a co-founder of Tmunity and Capstan Therapeutics, holds over 30 US patents and has published more than 200 scientific papers. He is a Past President of the International Society for Cell and Gene Therapy and serves on the board of the Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy.

Prof. Axel Schambach, MD, PhD, is Director of the Institute of Experimental Hematology and Professor for Gene Modification of Somatic Cells at Hannover Medical School. His research focuses on the molecular pathophysiology of inborn and acquired diseases, with an emphasis on developing innovative gene therapy strategies, including novel vector systems and genome editing tools. He has received prestigious European grants for his pioneering work on gene therapies for hearing loss and is recognised for advancing precision genome editing and translational gene therapy. Prof. Schambach has contributed to a number of cell and gene therapy clinical trials.

Prof. Luk Vandenberghe, PhD, is the Grousbeck Associate Professor in Gene Therapy at Harvard Medical School and Director of the Grousbeck Gene Therapy Center at Mass Eye and Ear and Mass General Brigham. A pioneer in AAV gene therapy, he co-invented AAV9 and has advanced novel vector technologies for treating neurosensory and other disorders. He has co-founded GenSight Biologics, Akouos, Affinia Therapeutics and the non-profit Odylia Therapeutics. Prof. Vandenberghe holds over 30 patents with more than 100 peer-reviewed publications in gene therapy research.

Dr. Heather Preston (Observer and Independent Non-Executive Director of OXB) has over 30 years of experience in healthcare as a scientist, physician and management consultant and has been an investor in life sciences and biotechnology for more than 20 years. Over the course of her career, Dr. Preston has also served as a director on the boards of Oxford Science Enterprises plc, Karuna Pharmaceuticals and Akouos Inc. Dr. Preston  also sits on the boards of Oxford Nanopore Technologies plc and Aligos Therapeutics, a Nasdaq-listed company. In addition, she is a Senior Advisor to TPG Biotech. Dr. Preston holds a degree in Medicine from the University of Oxford.

The following members of OXB's senior leadership team also sit on the Innovation and Technology Excellence Board:

Dr. Frank Mathias (Chief Executive Officer of OXB) brings over 30 years of leadership experience in the biopharmaceutical and CDMO sectors. Prior to joining OXB, Dr. Mathias was previously the CEO of Rentschler Biopharma SE, which he successfully developed into a leading global, full-service CDMO. Prior to Rentschler, Dr. Mathias was CEO of Medigene AG, a publicly listed immuno-oncology company focusing on the development of T-cell-based cancer therapies. He is currently the Chairman of the Board of Directors of ArcticZymes Technologies ASA, a supplier of best-in-class enzyme technologies. Dr. Mathias has also served in senior roles at leading global pharmaceutical companies including Amgen Deutschland GmbH, Servier Deutschland GmbH and Hoechst AG and, in 2019, was awarded the title of "EY Entrepreneur of the Year" in Germany. Dr. Mathias is a pharmacist by training and completed his Doctorate in Pharmacy at Paris VI University.

Thierry Cournez (Chief Operating Officer of OXB) has extensive experience in Sales, Marketing and GMP/GLP operations, with broad industry knowledge in the life science, biopharma and CDMO ecosystems. Prior to joining OXB, he served as Vice President of Global Testing Operations Bioreliance^® at Merck Life Science, where he successfully managed large capacity expansion projects and held international responsibility for contract testing operations across the US, UK, Singapore and China. Prior to this, in his role as Vice President of End-to-End Bioprocessing Solutions, Mr. Cournez built and developed Merck Life Science's End-to-End Promise Venture business unit, which involved the delivery and implementation of CDMO solutions for biopharma clients. Mr. Cournez holds an Engineer's Degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from INSA, Lyon, alongside a Master's of Science in Molecular Biology from Paris VI University.

Dr. Kyriacos Mitrophanous (Chief Innovation Officer of OXB) has over 30 years of lentiviral vector experience covering a range of technical disciplines, including the development of cell and gene therapies, delivery platform technologies, bioprocessing and analytics. Dr. Mitrophanous is a recognised world-class expert in the field, a named inventor on numerous lentiviral vector patents and an author of a number of key papers. In his current role, he is responsible for all aspects regarding client focussed innovation. He holds a PhD in Molecular Biology from University College London and has conducted post-doctoral research at the University of Oxford.

Dr. Sébastien Ribault (Chief Business Officer of OXB) has over 25 years of experience across the biotechnology industry and CDMO space. Dr. Ribault  was previously at Merck Life Science where he was Vice President & Head of Biologics and Viral Vector CDMO, leading Merck's CDMO expansion project, establishing the Services business case and helping to establish the Life Science Services business unit. Prior to his 17 years with Merck Life Science, Dr. Ribault was a Gene Therapy Development Scientist at Transgene and Head of the R&D Laboratory at Hemosystem. He has a PhD in Molecular and Cellular Biology from the University of Strasbourg.

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Enquiries:       

OXB:

Dr. Kyriacos Mitrophanous, Chief Innovation Officer - T: +44 (0) 1865 783 000 / E: [email protected]

ICR Healthcare:

T: +44 (0)20 3709 5700 / E: [email protected]

Mary-Jane Elliott / Angela Gray / Davide Salvi

About OXB

OXB (LSE: OXB) is a global quality and innovation-led contract development and manufacturing organisation (CDMO) in cell and gene therapy with a mission to enable its clients to deliver life changing therapies to patients around the world.

One of the original pioneers in cell and gene therapy, OXB has 30 years of experience in viral vectors; the driving force behind the majority of cell and gene therapies. OXB collaborates with some of the world's most innovative pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, providing viral vector development and manufacturing expertise in lentivirus, adeno-associated virus (AAV), adenovirus and other viral vector types. OXB's world-class capabilities range from early-stage development to commercialisation. These capabilities are supported by robust quality-assurance systems, analytical methods and depth of regulatory expertise.

OXB offers a vast number of unique technologies for viral vector manufacturing, including a 4th generation lentiviral vector system (the TetraVecta™ system), a dual-plasmid system for AAV production, suspension and perfusion process using process enhancers and stable producer and packaging cell lines.

OXB, a FTSE4Good constituent, is headquartered in Oxford, UK. It has development and manufacturing facilities across Oxfordshire, UK, Lyon and Strasbourg, France and Bedford MA, US. Learn more at www.oxb.com, and follow us on LinkedIn and YouTube.