US biopharmaceutical company Precigen Inc (Nasdaq: PGEN) announced on Tuesday the appointment of Phil Tennant as its new chief commercial officer.

In this role Tennant will be responsible for commercial strategy and implementation across US and global markets. He will initially concentrate 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). He will report to Precigen's president and CEO, Helen Sabzevari, PhD, and will join the company's executive leadership team.

Tennant has over 30 years of experience with biotech and pharmaceutical companies, including Merck, Sharp & Dohme, AstraZeneca, Bristol Myers Squibb and, most recently, Astellas Pharma. He has served in multiple therapeutic areas worldwide, including in the United Kingdom, Japan, Australia and the United States. He has also served as a board member for the Illinois Biotechnology Innovation Organization (iBIO) and the global startup incubator MATTER.

Helen Sabzevari said: "Phil is a recognised global commercial leader with an impressive 30-plus year track record building commercial organisations 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 haematologic cancers as well as rare diseases represents a tremendous opportunity for Precigen to capitalise on this expertise.

"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."