ProtaGene Names Pharmaceutical Industry Leader Raymond Kaiser as Chief Executive Officer to Drive Next Stages of Growth

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HEILBRONN, Germany, Sept. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ProtaGene GmbH, a leading global contract research organization focused on advanced analytics in biologics and cell and gene therapy, announced today the appointment of Raymond Kaiser, Ph.D., as Chief Executive Officer. Ray will drive the continued innovation and growth strategy for the company's advanced analytical services.

Ray first joined ProtaGene earlier this year as Chief Operating Officer. He brings over 26 years of experience in the biopharmaceutical and CRO industries, including research and development, quality assurance/quality control, technical support of biopharmaceutical products, protein characterization, and application of Six Sigma methodologies.

Former CEO Martin Blüggel, who remains engaged on the Board of Directors, founded Protagen in 1997 and successfully navigated the merger of four organizations, each driven by scientific analytical excellence and market leadership in biologic and cell and gene therapy development, to form the advanced analytical leader, ProtaGene. With the recently completed merger with GeneWerk and partnership with healthcare growth investor Ampersand Capital Partners, ProtaGene will continue building its team and capabilities to support today's increasingly complex therapeutic development programs.

"ProtaGene is incredibly well-positioned to serve as an analytical leader that supports the development of diverse therapeutic modalities," commented Blüggel. "It has been an extraordinary experience building the company, and now on the 25^th anniversary, I entrust Ray, an experienced executive, to lead ProtaGene to future success. With growing operations in North America and Europe, the company under Ray's leadership is well prepared to serve our international sponsors within the biologics and cell and gene therapy sectors."

"With our strong market positioning in North America and Europe, combined platforms in advanced biologic and cell and gene therapy analytical development, and focus on quality systems and strategic project management, I see no limits to what ProtaGene can accomplish," shared Kaiser. "As an increasing number of novel therapeutics enter the development pipeline, ProtaGene is prepared to rise to the challenges of these new products and modalities. Ultimately, I am thrilled and privileged to lead ProtaGene as the analytic partner of choice to deliver therapeutics to patients in need quickly."

Before joining ProtaGene, Ray was the Chief Operating Officer at Nexelis, overseeing operations, business strategy, and enhanced service offerings for pre-clinical and clinical bioanalytical testing. He obtained his Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry from Purdue University and his Master of Science in Organic Chemistry from St. Louis University. Dr. Kaiser has published over 50 papers and patents on biologics and vaccine development, manufacturing, and characterization.

About ProtaGene

ProtaGene is a world-leading CRO partner for the biopharmaceutical and cell and gene therapy industries. From discovery to product commercialization, ProtaGene provides the most advanced, integrated, and complete protein and gene analytic capabilities and packages. A unique combination of protein- and gene-based analytical platforms make ProtaGene the leading analytic service provider in biologics and cell and gene therapy development. The organization operates four sites in Europe and North America and works in advanced therapeutic platforms with leading biopharmaceutical and gene therapy companies worldwide. For additional information, visit www.protagene.com or follow us on LinkedIn.

About Ampersand Capital Partners

Founded in 1988, Ampersand is a middle market private equity firm with more than $3 billion of assets under management dedicated to growth-oriented investments in the healthcare sector. With offices in Boston, MA and Amsterdam, Netherlands, Ampersand leverages a unique blend of private equity and operating experience to build value and drive superior long-term performance alongside its portfolio company management teams. Ampersand has helped build numerous market-leading companies across each of the firm's core healthcare sectors. For additional information, visit www.ampersandcapital.com or follow us on LinkedIn.

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SOURCE ProtaGene