BioTime Appoints Chief Operating Officer

Alameda, Calif.-based BioTime Inc., which makes pluripotent stem-cell therapies and other technologies designed to address major unmet medical needs, has appointed Adi Mohanty to the position of chief operating officer. Mohanty’s primary responsibilities will be to build BioTime’s business through the development of its subsidiaries and through the further development and commercialization of BioTime’s HyStem-based products. Mohanty will report to CEO Michael D. West, Ph.D.

“The addition of Adi to our senior management team is another execution milestone for BioTime as we broaden our capabilities to address market opportunities and build shareholder value,” said West. “Adi is a highly experienced biopharmaceutical executive. He joins our company at a time when two of our subsidiaries have been cleared for clinical trials of their therapeutic products and as we develop commercialization strategies for cancer diagnostics and Renevia.

West also mentioned that BioTime recently added to its board in preparation for 2015.

Mohanty previously served in various leadership positions of increasing responsibility at Shire plc, most recently as head of its regenerative medicine business, where he oversaw all aspects of that business, including sales and marketing, research and development, and manufacturing, and led a successful turnaround and divestiture of that business unit. Prior to that Mohanty was Shire’s global franchise head for a portfolio of biologic products in the rare disease space with sales and operations in over 50 countries. He served as vice president, manufacturing and supply operations at Transkaryotic Therapies Inc. where he had overall responsibility for the company’s manufacturing and operations while it grew from development stage to a successful commercial company that was acquired by Shire. Before joining Transkaryotic Therapies, Mohanty worked at Baxter Bioscience where he held a variety of engineering, manufacturing and general management positions. He holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in chemical engineering and an MBA.

“Pluripotent stem cell technology is a powerful platform with the potential for new, transformative therapies, and BioTime is the technology leader in developing and manufacturing pluripotent stem cell-based therapeutics,” said Mohanty. “This is an exciting time to join BioTime as the company and its subsidiaries focus on developing and commercializing a broad portfolio of innovative cellular therapeutics aimed at addressing the large, growing markets associated with chronic age-related degenerative disease, as well as a number of other therapeutic and diagnostic products that have a near term commercialization horizon. I look forward to working with the BioTime team toward achieving a number of expected clinical development and commercialization milestones over the next twelve months and beyond.”