BOCA RATON, Fla., Jan. 02, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Gift of Life Biologics announced today that accomplished biopharmaceutical leader Eric Strati, Pharm.D. MBA has joined the firm as its Chief Executive Officer.
Gift of Life Biologics is the source biopharmaceutical companies turn to for the essential starting material they need to power the development of next generation cell and gene therapies. While cells from patients themselves were initially used by industry, scalability proved to be one of many challenges. That led to a growing number of biopharma firms to rely on cells donated by healthy donors to conduct their research and development, and ultimately to commercialize their biological drug candidates. These future off the shelf drugs will enable far more patients to be treated in a more cost-effective and timely manner.
The for-profit company was established by the Gift of Life Marrow Registry, a non-profit organization that cures blood cancer through cellular therapy. The organization accomplishes this through its registry of over 400,000 stem cell donors facilitating bone marrow and stem cell transplants. In 2021, it launched Gift of Life Biologics as a natural extension of its life-saving mission.
Jay Feinberg, who founded Gift of Life Biologics and served as interim-CEO, will remain in his current role as the President and CEO of Gift of Life Marrow Registry, and continue to serve on the board of both organizations.
Strati joins Gift of Life Biologics with over 20 years of industry related experience, most recently as vice president, global GI cell therapy lead at Takeda Pharmaceuticals. He has extensive commercial experience in the cell therapy space gained from leadership roles at Takeda, Mesoblast, and Novartis. Eric also brings nearly a decade of experience spanning across medical affairs, pharmaceutical benefit management, and investment banking from his work at Bristol-Myers Squibb, Genzyme, CVS Caremark, and HSBC.
He earned his Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy and MBA in Health Systems Management from Union University, and Doctor of Pharmacy from University of Kansas.
Strati said, “I greatly look forward to joining the Gift of Life team. Cell and gene therapies are highly innovative modalities that can be transformative for many individuals suffering from some of the most refractory diseases. Gift of Life Biologics is well positioned to partner with cell and gene biopharmaceutical companies on our shared mission of curing cancer and serious illnesses.”
“Eric’s strong track record of managing global biopharmaceutical teams and driving development through product innovation and customer relationships will be invaluable to the growth of Gift of Life Biologics,” said Stephen B. Siegel, Chairman of the Board of both organizations. He added, “This appointment further strengthens our position as a leader providing the building blocks that biopharma firms need to develop next generation therapeutics.”
About Gift of Life Biologics
Gift of Life Biologics is the source for cell and gene therapy developers needing high quality, consistent GMP-compliant starting material to power their R&D and commercialization needs.
About Gift of Life Marrow Registry
Gift of Life Marrow Registry cures blood cancer through bone marrow and stem cell transplants requiring volunteer, unrelated donors.
Website: www.giftoflifebio.com
