BioCentriq, a Newark-based cell therapy contract development and manufacturing organization, on Thursday said it appointed Syed Husain as its new CEO and as a member of the board of directors.
BioCentriq has selected Husain for his extensive expertise in CDMO development and manufacturing services, with a deep understanding of the cell and gene therapy supply and value chains. His experience spans the entire drug development and commercialization lifecycle, including over 20 years of strategic management, leading companies through rapid growth, go-to-market innovation and industry disruption.
Husain has a proven track record in creating global business development strategies, enhancing market and brand presence, building high-performing teams, implementing operational improvements, increasing financial returns and providing strategic leadership to drive patient focus and profitable revenue growth.
“The cell and gene therapy sector has reached a new stage, where a range of late-stage therapies are reaching commercialization, and a considerable number of next-generation therapies are entering and progressing through early-stage clinical development. In turn, the cell and gene therapy sector is meeting strong pressures on investment required for high costs of development and product manufacturing, in turn increasing pressure on the pricing for commercialized therapies,” James Park, chairman of the board at BioCentriq, said.
Husain’s expertise will guide BioCentriq through its next phase of growth, ensuring the company is well-positioned to support pharma and biotech customers as they advance to pivotal and commercial manufacturing, while continuing to meet their development and clinical supply needs.
Husain most recently served as chief commercial officer at Resilience, where he developed an industry-leading commercial organization, serving established (biologics, vaccines) and emerging modalities. He established a multibillion-dollar backlog and opportunity pipeline, securing transformative deals with top pharmaceutical and biotech companies.
Husain also fostered a customer-centered culture that deeply resonated with customers and supported long-term, patient-focused growth. Prior to his time with Resilience, he has served in CDMO leadership roles at Emergent BioSolutions, Alcami Corp. and Lonza.
“BioCentriq has quickly developed a unique offering to the U.S. and global CGT manufacturing space, backed by strong partnerships that significantly cut development and technology transfer timelines. We offer the CGT market the flexibility of a midsized, entrepreneurial CDMO with a proven track record, which will be crucial in scaling the next generation of therapies to reach broader patient populations,” Husain said.
