Cellares, a Bridgewater-based leader in automated cell therapy manufacturing, on Monday announced it appointed Ossama Eissa, former executive at Novartis, Lonza Biologics, and Legend Biotech, as chief operating officer.
Eissa’s extensive experience will support the expansion of Cellares’ Smart Factory network in the United States, Europe, Japan and other international markets, addressing the challenges of scalability, cost, and quality that have long hindered patient access. Through these advancements, Cellares will work to ensure that life-saving treatments are accessible for oncology and autoimmune patients globally.
This appointment strengthens the Cellares leadership team in a time of rapid global expansion of the company’s IDMO manufacturing services, in response to the growing global demand for cell therapy manufacturing capacity.
Eissa brings more than 20 years of experience in pharmaceutical and biotech manufacturing.
He formerly served as vice president and general manager at Legend Biotech, where he led the Raritan production site through the global launch of Carvykti, a CAR-T cell therapy.
At Lonza Biologics, Eissa managed Global Strategic Projects, contributing significantly to the Cell and Gene Technologies Business Unit by boosting manufacturing efficiency and driving commercial scale-up. He also oversaw U.S. manufacturing operations at Novartis, scaling production and supporting regulatory approval for Kymriah, the first FDA-approved CAR-T cell therapy.
“Joining Cellares is an opportunity to address one of the biggest challenges in healthcare today: making cell therapies accessible to all of those who need them,” Eissa said. “The mission aligns closely with my experience in scaling complex manufacturing systems to benefit patients directly. I’ve witnessed the profound impact these treatments have, and I’m committed to ensuring that we reach more patients, especially those facing cancer and autoimmune diseases, with the reliability and speed they deserve.”
