Molecular Assemblies Names Biotech Veteran Michael J. Kamdar CEO

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Oct 20, 2016, 07:30 ET

SAN DIEGO, Oct. 20, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Molecular Assemblies Inc., a company developing a proprietary enzymatic DNA synthesis technology designed to power the next generation of DNA-based products, today announced the appointment of Michael J. Kamdar as CEO and director. Mr. Kamdar brings 25 years of highly successful biotechnology leadership and transaction experience to his new role.

On behalf of the board of directors, Chairman Larry Stambaugh said, "We are honored to have Mr. Kamdar join the Molecular Assemblies team. He has represented some of the most successful life science companies in the community and his leadership, commercialization and financing experience will be invaluable to Molecular Assemblies as we build a dominant and leading company in the next generation of genomics."

Kamdar comes to Molecular Assemblies with more than 25 years of domestic and international pharmaceutical and biotechnology leadership experience as founder, board member and senior executive of notable pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, including Agouron Pharmaceuticals, Warner-Lambert, Pfizer, Anadys Pharmaceuticals, VentiRx Pharmaceuticals, Tobira Therapeutics and Ciclofilin Pharmaceuticals. In these roles, Kamdar successfully raised hundreds of millions of dollars to fund development and commercialization of pharmaceutical products and completed numerous strategic and corporate transactions totaling more than $1 billion.

"I am pleased to join the outstanding team at Molecular Assemblies, including founders Dr. William Efcavitch and Curt Becker, who have lead the development of the company's radical new approach to DNA synthesis and put Molecular Assemblies at the forefront of powering a new generation of DNA-based products," Kamdar said. "Molecular Assemblies' patented enzymatic process for writing genetic code promises to enable and accelerate all areas of genomic applications from industrial synthetic biology, gene and cell-based therapeutics and precision diagnostics, to the exploitation of the amazing properties of DNA beyond biology such as data information storage, nanomachines, and bio-based electronics. l am particularly enthusiastic about advancing and commercializing this transformative technology."

Molecular Assemblies was founded in 2013 by Efcavitch and Becker, who developed the current chemical process for DNA synthesis as early founders of Applied Biosystems. Recognizing the constraints and limitations to the chemical process, Efcavitch and Becker sought to develop a new method of DNA synthesis based on the way nature makes DNA. This enzymatic approach produces long, high quality, sequence-specific DNA, reliably, affordably and sustainably, and overcomes the limitations of traditional chemical DNA synthesis, which is error prone, time-consuming and unscalable.

"Speaking for the rest of the team at Molecular Assemblies, we are very pleased to have Mike joining us in this exciting endeavor. He brings skills and experience that complement that of the founders. Molecular Assemblies now has all of the necessary elements to take a leadership role in making DNA the industrial polymer of the 21^st Century," Efcavitch said.

About Molecular Assemblies

Molecular Assemblies Inc. is a San Diego-based company focused on developing an enzymatic DNA synthesis technology designed to power the next generation of DNA-based products. The company's patented enzymatic method, based on making DNA the way nature makes DNA, produces long, high quality, sequence-specific DNA reliably, affordably and sustainably. Molecular Assemblies' technology will enable the reading and writing of DNA for industries including industrial synthetic biology and precision medicine, as well as emerging applications of DNA for data information storage, nanomachines and bio-based electronics. Molecular Assemblies was founded in 2013 by William Efcavitch PhD, and Curt Becker, who pioneered the chemical DNA synthesis approach used today. For more information please visit http://www.molecularassemblies.com.