- Two biopharmaceutical experts join SK bioscience to strengthen the future strategies

- With recruitment of global talent and capabilities accumulated during the COVID-19 pandemic, SK bioscience will continue to achieve sustainable growth

Seoul, South Korea-SK bioscience, a global innovative vaccine and biotech company committed to promoting human health from prevention to cure across the globe, announced that Richard Kensinger, PhD, former Director and Head of Drug Substance Process Development in Sanofi Pasteur and former Executive Director of Process Development and Protein Sciences at Affinivax Inc. has joined in ‘SK bioscience USA Inc.’ as Vice President of R&D Project Management.

Dr. Kensinger is an expert who has been dedicated to biopharmaceutical R&D, working at global companies for more than 20 years. He received a Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences at Eastern University and a PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the Pennsylvania State University.

Dr. Kensinger as an expert of R&D process, will take a role in strengthening the company’s global competitiveness mainly targeting the United States market by improving the manufacturing process to the cGMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) level, the US certification for manufacturing practice which is considered as the highest standard worldwide.

SK bioscience additionally recruited Kenneth Lee, former Head of Commercial Division, Americas of GenScript Probio, as Vice President of Biologic Business Development Department at R&D Center in Pangyo, South Korea.

Starting at Gilead Sciences, Inc., Mr. Lee worked at various Korean and international biopharmaceutical companies such as CrystalGenomics Inc., BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc., Binex Co.,ltd, and Samsung Bioepis, managing R&D, business development, M&A, etc. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Molecular Cell Biology at the University of California Berkeley and an MBA at INSEAD.

Mr. Lee will be in charge of developing new biopharmaceutical-driven strategies beyond the vaccine business including a Cellular & Gene Therapy (CGT) field.

Last October, other experts from international organizations joined SK bioscience. Dr. Harry Kleanthous, former Senior Program Officer in Global Health at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), joined as Executive Vice President of Vaccine R&D Strategy and External Innovation. Dr. Sally Choe, an expert in drug review, clinical pharmacology, and medical product development, was also recruited as Head of Global Clinical Development and Regulatory Affairs.

Through the recruitment, SK bioscience plans to implement
- Following-up response to COVID-19 endemic
- Strengthening the vaccine business and advancing to the global market
- Securing CGT and next-generation platform technologies
- Strengthening global partnership in preparation for the next pandemic
- Qualitative and quantitative expansion of R&D and manufacturing infrastructures
- Continuous strengthening of management infrastructure.

Jaeyong Ahn, CEO of SK bioscience said, “Now is the time for advancing beyond Korea to the global market based on our accumulated capabilities. The strategic recruitment of global talent like Dr. Kensinger and Mr. Lee will be an important cornerstone for us to become a global leading player in vaccine and biopharmaceutical industries.”