18 March 2020 - - US-based plasmid DNA, proteins, mRNA and antibodies maker Aldevron has hired Vijay Surapaneni as its vice president of Biomanufacturing Operations, the company said.

This is a new position and is a part of the senior management team.

Surapaneni will oversee all manufacturing operations and is responsible for the manufacture of research grade, GMP-Source, and cGMP clinical and commercial products; ensuring all products are within the appropriate level of compliance and specifications, meeting client expectations and with on-time, and on-budget delivery.

Surapaneni brings over 30 years of leadership experience in pharmaceutical and device technology, operations, and engineering.

Prior to joining Aldevron, Surapaneni spent six years at Catalent Pharma Solutions, with his most recent role serving as vice president of Engineering and Capacity Planning where he delivered significant capital projects across the global network.

Surapaneni previously served as VP of Operations for Biologics, Specialty and Oral Drug Delivery sites in Europe and US and was instrumental in expanding the service offerings and delivering growth.

Prior to Catalent, Surapaneni served five years as vice president of Manufacturing at ConvaTec, an international medical devices and technology company; and 18 years at Bristol-Myers Squibb in a variety of roles of increasing responsibility, ending his tenure as general manager, Cruiserath Operations in Dublin, Ireland, where he directed commissioning, plant qualifications, and startup of a new USD 500m, 100-acre fully integrated greenfield pharmaceutical manufacturing facility.

Surapaneni earned his Master of Science in Chemical Engineering from Michigan State University and a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Manipal Institute of Technology.

Aldevron serves the biotechnology industry with custom production of nucleic acids, proteins, and antibodies.

Thousands of clients use Aldevron-produced plasmids, RNA and gene editing enzymes for projects ranging from research grade to clinical trials to commercial applications. Aldevron specializes in GMP manufacturing and is known for inventing the GMP-Source quality system.

Company headquarters are in Fargo, N.D., with additional facilities in Madison, Wisc., and Freiburg, Germany.