Rentschler Biopharma, a leading global contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) for biopharmaceuticals, today announced the appointment of Dr. Robert Panting as General Manager of Rentschler ATMP* Ltd. This center of excellence is in Stevenage, UK, Europe’s largest cell and gene therapy hub. It was set up to address the gap in capacity and support for early-stage innovators in cell and gene therapy. In this position, Dr. Panting will manage all operations at the site.
“I am delighted to welcome Dr. Robert Panting to the Rentschler team. With his great experience running complex operations and setting up the structures needed for a new site, he is the ideal choice to manage our cell and gene therapy facility,” said Dr. Frank Mathias, CEO of Rentschler Biopharma. “We are excited by the great progress we have made since launching our plans in the UK earlier this year and look forward to establishing this facility for the state-of-the-art manufacturing of viral vectors for clinical supply. Dr. Panting’s leadership will be a critical aspect of driving this project to be client-ready for cGMP manufacturing.”
Prior to joining Rentschler ATMP, Dr. Panting spent ten years at Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies. There, he was in positions of increasing responsibility in the areas of project management, customer management and business planning. In his last role, Vice President for Program Management and Sales & Operations Planning, he focused on driving delivery of client projects and overseeing short- and long-term planning for the company’s UK operations. He also oversaw several infrastructure and major organizational projects. Prior to that, he was Senior Director of Programs, with direct oversight of customer projects in the UK. He was also in charge of project and portfolio management implementation, including on-boarding the portfolio management team at a newly acquired site.
Dr. Panting, General Manager of Rentschler ATMP, added: “I am honored to join the Rentschler team and to manage operations at the company’s exciting undertaking in ATMP manufacturing. Rentschler Biopharma is highly regarded in the industry. I look forward to ensuring that the new site provides the reliable, client-focused, high quality service for which the company is known. I also look forward to contributing to moving the business into new technologies and offerings. I am thrilled by the strong interest we have already seen for our ATMP services.”
Rentschler ATMP was launched in February 2021 and is located at an already existing facility run by the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult (CGT Catapult) through a unique collaborative model. The company is making a significant investment at the site and continuing its well-established practice of forming true partnerships with its clients. At this new Center of Excellence, the company plans to partner with entrepreneurial players to enable them to transform their ideas into real products with the potential to treat and even cure patients with serious and life-threatening diseases. Rentschler ATMP utilizes a highly flexible business model that addresses the specific needs of each client.
