The Discovery Labs Taps Lonza Exec to Lead Operations

KING of PRUSSIA, Pa., Oct. 14, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Discovery Labs announced today the appointment of Joerg Ahlgrimm to the senior leadership position of President and Chief Operating Officer. The Discovery Labs is a holding company which specialized in cell and gene therapy development and manufacturing services, large-scale testing capabilities and real estate services for the life science industry as well as fostering technology innovation. 

Ahlgrimm will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of The Discovery Labs. Central to his responsibilities will be oversight of all operations for the Center for Breakthrough Medicines (CBM) and Testing Centers of America (TCA) – two core Discovery Labs platform companies. This mission includes staffing more than 1,700 people for CBM and TCA – ranging from manufacturing specialists to PhD scientists. 

All revenue-generating functions at CBM and TCA, including program management, supply chain, engineering, manufacturing, process development and testing will report to Mr. Ahlgrimm. Ahlgrimm will also ensure the successful execution of the rollout of TCA's national COVID testing program.  Ahlgrimm will lead both companies' operations to efficiently meet the needs of a growing list of global biopharma customers.

"With Joerg, we have added an industry titan with impeccable credentials to oversee our operations," said Brian O'Neill, Co-Founder and Executive Chairman, The Discovery Labs. "To attract someone of Joerg's caliber means we have the ability to scale up and manage high-volume cell and gene manufacturing. The Discovery Labs will benefit immensely from the leadership of this seasoned, global pharmaceutical executive."

Ahlgrimm brings over 20 years of expertise in pharmaceutical operations, supply chain and manufacturing to The Discovery Labs. Prior to joining the company, Ahlgrimm was head of global operations pharma biotech and nutrition at Lonza. Before Lonza, Ahlgrimm was head, global manufacturing for Baxter Healthcare, BioScience Division/Baxalta Inc. In this senior leadership role, he led Baxalta's internal and external manufacturing network as well as plasma collection organization covering 10,000 employees, generating $6 billion in sales.

"I am thrilled to join The Discovery Labs' management team because I share their passion for saving lives," said Joerg Ahlgrimm. "In my 20 years of working in the pharmaceutical industry, I have never seen an opportunity like we have now. Innovations in cell and gene therapy is a transformative moment. By solving the manufacturing bottleneck, we can save thousands of lives while leading a revolution that will transform healthcare." 

Commenting on the appointment, Audrey Greenberg, Co-founder and Executive Managing Director, The Discovery Labs, said, "Joerg's experience at Baxter and Lonza, provides him with a unique perspective to see both sides of the CDMO equation. His experience leading a large international CDMO operation on the contract manufacturing side, while understanding the requirements of global pharmaceutical companies, will enable us to develop highly targeted service offerings to meet the specific requirements of our clients."   

Ahlgrimm's passion to save and sustain lives will help advance hundreds of cell and gene therapies in various stages of clinical development. His appointment accelerates the progress of all aspects of The Discovery Labs operations including process development, manufacturing, program management, supply chain, engineering, and testing.

The Discovery Labs

The Discovery Labs is the first complete global platform for discovery, development, and delivery of life-changing science and technology. The Discovery Labs King of Prussia flagship site is a 1.6 million square foot world-class life sciences innovation campus. The Discovery Labs ecosystem supports several signature businesses including the Center for Breakthrough Medicines (CBM), the largest single-point cell and gene therapy contract development and manufacturing facility (CDMO) in the world, and Testing Centers of America (TCA), the only large-scale, sequential, clinical diagnostic testing company backed by a software solution and interface that drives testing and compliance for COVID-19. Also co-located on site is Unite IQ, an incubator and accelerator formed in partnership with Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center, and the Discovery Labs Real Estate Specialty Services division which acquires, builds and repositions existing pharma quality manufacturing plants that provide companies the option to expand on site by building their own development and manufacturing facilities on 200 available acres. For more information, please visit the company's website at www.thediscoverylabs.com or call 610-389-2696. 

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SOURCE The Discovery Labs