ABL, a pure play Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) with specialized expertise in the development and manufacturing of solutions for biopharma, including viruses for gene therapy, oncolytic viruses and vaccine candidates, today announces the appointment of Stéphanie Colloud as general manager and chief operating officer (COO) for Europe. In her new role, she will be responsible for operations at the Lyon and Strasbourg development and clinical production sites, leading a team of 160 staff.
 
Ms. Colloud’s priorities include strengthening ABL’s R&D work in its GMP production platforms for Adeno Associated Viruses (AAV) and LentiViruses (LV), both internally and in conjunction with partner companies. She will also pilot the launch of a commercial production facility equipped with bioreactors, up to 2,000 liters, at the Strasbourg site, and enhance quality control procedures.
 
Stéphanie’s appointment comes at a pivotal juncture within ABL’s new ‘Gene to Cell’ development strategy, aimed at ensuring that the company can meet customer requirements as effectively as possible and adapt to changing market conditions.
 
“After almost five years of working at ABL, it’s a real privilege to have been selected for the roles of general manager and COO,” said Ms. Colloud. “I’m excited about this opportunity to take a leading role in driving the business forward and in helping ensure that ABL becomes a key player in the viral vector market.”
 
Over the course of her career at ABL, Stéphanie Colloud has gained a vast working knowledge of the company’s sites and teams. After joining the company in 2018, she was appointed director of the Lyon site. For the past four years, she has successfully expanded the site’s operations, significantly growing staff numbers from six to 70 and increasing the turnover sevenfold. She also headed up the development of the AAV platform at the Lyon site and established a partnership with Coave Therapeutics.
 
“ABL is a pioneer in the production of viral vectors. Our ambition is to become Europe’s leading provider of all services relating to the production of innovative therapies, for both our customers and our partners,” explained Thierry Van Nieuwenhove, CEO of ABL. “Stéphanie Colloud’s appointment brings us one step closer to achieving this goal, thanks to her astute understanding of the market and impressive performance at our Lyon site.”
 
In 2022, the market for the production of viral vectors and plasmid DNA was estimated to be $0.3 billion (€0.28bn). This figure is expected to rise to $0.89 billion (€0.82bn) by 2030, which represents a CAGR of 16.9% for the forecast period (2023–2030).
 
Over the next few months, ABL plans to establish structural partnerships within the gene and cell therapy sector, as part of the Institut Mérieux group, of which it is a subsidiary.