Precigen, Inc. , a biopharmaceutical company specializing in the development of gene and cell therapies, announced the appointment of Phil Tennant as the Company's chief commercial officer. Mr. Tennant will be responsible for commercial strategy and execution across US and global markets. His initial focus will be on driving commercial readiness activities for the potential launch of the first- and best-in-class PRGN-2012 AdenoVerse gene therapy in recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP). Mr. Tennant will report to Precigen's President and CEO, Helen Sabzevari, PhD, and will join Precigen's executive leadership team.
Mr. Tennant's 30-plus year career has spanned numerous leading biotech and pharmaceutical companies, including Merck, Sharp & Dohme, AstraZeneca, Bristol Myers Squibb and, most recently, Astellas Pharma. He has worked in multiple therapeutic areas across the globe, including in the United Kingdom, Europe, Japan, Australia, and the US. For the past 13 years, his career has focused mainly on oncology, initially driving commercial success at Bristol Myers Squibb in new markets for the first wave of immuno-oncology agents, including launching YERVOY® (ipilimumab) in Australia and supporting subsequent launches in Europe for both YERVOY and OPDIVO® (nivolumab), and orchestrating commercial growth across several hematological cancers with SPRYCEL® (dasatinib) and EMPLICITI® (elotuzumab). Most recently at Astellas, Mr. Tennant drove double-digit growth for the $5B global oncology portfolio, including driving commercial expansion for the androgen receptor inhibitor, XTANDI® (enzalutamide), leading US commercial growth in two new indications for the antibody drug conjugate, PADCEV® (enfortumab vedotin), expanding the ex-US footprint for the tyrosine kinase inhibitor, XOSPATA® (gilteritinib), and adding commercial momentum to the targeted monoclonal antibody, VYLOY™ (zolbetuximab). At Astellas, he served as a core member of the joint steering committees for two successful alliances: with Seagen/Pfizer for PADCEV and with Pfizer for XTANDI. Mr. Tennant has also been a board member for the Illinois Biotechnology Innovation Organization (iBIO) and the global startup incubator, MATTER.
"Phil is a recognized global commercial leader with an impressive 30-plus year track record building commercial organizations and scaling commercial operations to drive revenue growth for both niche and blockbuster therapeutics. In his most recent role, he successfully drove multiple new product launches and scaled to ex-US markets leading to double-digit revenue growth. His expertise in both solid and hematologic cancers as well as rare diseases represents a tremendous opportunity for Precigen to capitalize on this expertise," said Helen Sabzevari, PhD, President and CEO of Precigen. "This is a transformational time for Precigen as we are transitioning toward a commercial stage company and Phil's expertise is precisely tailored to propel our first potential commercial launch in the US. Phil's relationships with our target prescriber base will enable rapid growth in our key markets, enabling access to our potential life-changing RRP therapy for patients who urgently need it."
"This is a tremendously exciting time to join Precigen. I am thrilled to be able to collaborate with the team to further commercial readiness work already underway and build out Precigen's commercial strategy and operations to support the first potential commercial launch for the company's lead asset, PRGN-2012," Mr. Tennant said. "I was inspired by the groundbreaking pivotal data for PRGN-2012 presented at ASCO this year and learning more about the immense need for a non-surgical FDA-approved therapeutic option for RRP patients. Precigen is poised to deliver a potential game-changing novel therapy for these patients and, as we march toward potential FDA approval, I will work tirelessly to ensure patients have access to this medicine as rapidly as possible."
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