Selvita strengthens management structure in sales and drug development segment

KRAKÓW, Poland, Dec. 10, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Selvita S.A. [WSE: SLV], a member of the mWIG40 index and one of Europe's leading preclinical CROs, announced strategic changes to its structure, strengthening its international sales team and drug development segment.

Selvita is bolstering its international sales structure with the hiring of Dr. Paul Overton as Chief Commercial Officer. Bringing over 25 years of expertise in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and CRO industries, Dr. Overton has an impressive track recording of managing business development at companies such as Sygnature Discovery, Eurofins, Evotec and Aptuit. His career has been defined by driving global sales growth, forging strategic partnerships with biopharmaceutical companies, and steering dynamic, fast-growing organizations to success.

Additionally, Dr. Milosz Gruca will assume the role of Global Head of Drug Development, where he will oversee the company's rapidly expanding drug development segment and the area of services dedicated to biologic drugs.

These structural enhancements come as Selvita experiences recovery in revenues and sees signs of recovery in the global market. This strategic realignment is aimed at leveraging the improving market environment and capitalizing on the opportunities arising from Selvita's recent acquisitions, which have led to significant expansion of its services portfolio, particularly in the area of therapeutic antibodies discovery and CDMO services space.

Boguslaw Sieczkowski, Selvita's co-founder, significant shareholder and CEO, commented:

- Over the past years, we have built a globally recognized organization that is the preferred partner for many leading biotech and pharmaceutical companies. Dr. Paul Overton's deep experience in the global CRO market  will be invaluable in strengthening our business development capabilities. I am convinced that, as our Chief Commercial Officer, he will contribute significantly to further dynamic growth in the scale of the Group's operations.

He added: - These structural changes create optimal conditions for realizing the ambitious goals we have set for ourselves in the coming years. They will allow us to unlock the potential of the rapidly growing drug development segment, as well as the biologic drug offering - areas strengthened by this year's strategic transactions. From the beginning of 2025, these critical areas will report directly to Dr. Milosz Gruca, whose competence and experience are well-suited to meet these needs.

Paul Overton, Selvita's Chief Commercial Officer commented:

It is remarkable how quickly and successfully Selvita has established its position as one of the world's leading discovery and development partners in the CRO market. I am excited to be joining such a dynamic company with a clear strategic vision and strong leadership enabling us to deliver the next exciting chapters of this inspiring journey.

The strengthening of the Group's internal structures comes at a time when, after more than a year of significant slowdown in the global biotechnology market, which affected CRO/CDMO companies, Selvita's performance in the second half of 2024 shows a return to an upward trend. 

The hiring of Dr. Paul Overton as Chief Commercial Officer reflects Selvita's commitment to enhancing its international business development efforts. During his career, he has been personally responsible for achieving sales targets of several hundred million euros per year, and has played instrumental roles in numerous M&A transactions. 

Dr. Overton specializes in sales development of dynamically growing companies and management of global sales teams. His experience and expertise spans supporting the development of new services, optimizing the operations of sales structures and building strategic partnerships with biopharmaceutical companies.

As Chief Commercial Officer, Dr. Overton will be responsible for managing the international business development team and strengthening Selvita's sales activities. His extensive industry experience, international relationships and scientific profile, will support the Group's position and growth in global markets.

Meanwhile, Selvita's drug development segment has grown to represent approximately 25% of the Group's revenue, underscoring its importance as a core growth area. Following the Pozlab acquisition, the segment's workforce has nearly doubled to 200 employees, and the company has expanded its portfolio of services by entering the therapeutic antibody discovery and development business. These developments will be overseen by from Board level by Dr. Miłosz Gruca, who has been with Selvita since 2007 and brings a wealth of experience as a biochemist, molecular biologist and business leader.

About Selvita (SLV)        

Selvita is a leading provider of integrated drug discovery and development services, dedicated to advancing pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical innovations through a holistic approach. Company delivers comprehensive solutions that span the entire drug development lifecycle, from early discovery to final product delivery.

The drug discovery department offers a comprehensive scope of services bridging the gap between early drug discovery and the clinical stage of drug development.  The department specializes in a variety of therapeutic areas, including infectious diseases, inflammation, fibrosis, and oncology, offering both stand-alone and fully integrated services tailored to your needs.

The drug development division provides extensive drug development and regulatory support, including analytical support for both small and large molecules, microbiology, formulation, and clinical trial batch manufacturing, adheres to the highest quality standards under GMP and GLP regulations.

Selvita, established in 2007, operates globally with over 950 highly qualified employees, of which over 35% hold a PhD degree. With state-of-the-art facilities in Krakow, Poznan, Wroclaw, and Zagreb, and international offices in Cambridge, MA, the San Francisco Bay Area, and Cambridge, UK, Selvita offers a global network of expertise and resources.

Selvita is listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange (WSE: SLV). For more information, please see www.selvita.com.

SOURCE Selvita S.A.