There are few companies that can boast a reputation in biosimilar development like BioFactura. In a rapidly expanding market, they are making waves in a big way in 2021. From initiation of a phase 1 study for a biosimilar treatment for people suffering from Crohn’s Disease to a recent transfer agreement with RANI Therapeutics, there’s a lot to be excited about for a company of just under 50 employees.
But this relatively small team is growing exponentially. Throughout the third quarter, the team has been adding more depth and expertise at a rate that’s causing many in the Capital Region to take notice. With several key hires directly tied to their aggressive growth strategy, they are preparing themselves for a breakout year in 2022.
Check out a few of the new faces the team expects to make a big impact:
DJ Bortey – DJ is a dual-threat scientist. With a Master’s in Biotechnology specializing in Biodefense and Biosecurity along with a Master’s in Business Administration, DJ is already making an impact as the team’s Quality Control lead. Adding her to such a dynamic team will be crucial to BioFactura’s goals.
Maggie Brennan – Maggie is a University of Rochester educated Bioprocess Engineer. Boasting a background of aseptic technique, mammalian cell culture, media preparation, cryopreservation, microscopy, she’s going to be a huge asset for a team looking to perfect its processes and scale. Bonus points – Maggie is an Internationally ranked Irish Dancer!
Brianna Eddy – Brianna is BioFactura’s Document Control and Training Coordinator. She worked at MedImmune in Validation, then at Lonza in Document Control. She will be a huge asset to a team looking to continue to grow by establishing structure and frameworks to bring new employees up to speed more efficiently.
Daniel Harrigan – Daniel is joining the team as a Senior Manager. As a senior scientist at United Therapeutics for more than 15 years, Daniel has also worked locally at the NIH/SAIC as well as MedImmune with industry experience that spans nearly 25 years. Daniel was also a Communications Specialist in the Army before graduating from UMBC’s biology program. His decision-making capabilities under pressure are a valuable resource to the Biofactura mission.
Carolyn Six – Carolyn has nearly two decades of industry experience ranging from her time at the US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) as a Virology Technician and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIH/NIAID) as a biologist to her time in quality control and quality assurance work at both Emergent and Novavax. A graduate of Goucher College’s biology program, Carolyn developed her passion for biotherapeutics during her time at USAMRIID. Carolyn is also a contributing author to several publications on nucleic acid vaccines.
Ben Strouse – Ben joined the BioFactura team as a Senior Manufacturing Associate. He has been working in biotech in both quality control and manufacturing. At AstraZeneca, he was looked to as a leader amongst his team, tasked with training up more junior manufacturing associates and the development of various high-priority SOPs and protocols.
BioBuzz is excited to see talent find a company that’s quickly losing its title as one of the Capital Region’s “best-kept secrets” to their new title of “global biosimilars powerhouse”. We wish these new Biofactura team members much success in the coming years!
