Forge Biologics Expands Gene Therapy Leadership Team with Appointment of John Maslowski as Chief Commercial Officer

cGMP AAV Manufacturing, Process and Analytical Development Expanded in 2H 2021, Accelerates Commercial Capabilities

COLUMBUS, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Forge Biologics, a gene therapy-focused contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), announced today the appointment of John Maslowski to the newly created role of Chief Commercial Officer. Mr. Maslowski brings significant gene therapy manufacturing and development experience to Forge as the Company has expanded its cGMP AAV manufacturing capabilities, including process and analytical development. As CCO, Mr. Maslowski will lead the Marketing, Sales, and Client Development departments to support our partners and clients on their path towards commercializing gene therapies.

“We are excited to have John join the leadership team at such an important inflection point in the growth of Forge,” said Timothy J. Miller, Ph.D., CEO, President and Co-Founder of Forge Biologics. “John is a seasoned biotech executive, bringing over 20 years of expertise and a proven track record in gene and cell therapy manufacturing, therapeutics development and commercialization, with a focus on rare disease.”

Mr. Maslowski comes to Forge after serving as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Castle Creek Biosciences, Inc. He served in the same role at Fibrocell Science, Inc., a NASDAQ listed cell and gene therapy company, from 2016 until it was acquired in 2019. At Fibrocell, he previously served as the Senior Vice President of Scientific Affairs and Vice President of Operations. Mr. Maslowski has extensive experience in the field of cell and gene therapy, including advancing D-Fi—a genetically modified autologous fibroblast therapy—to pivotal clinical trials, and LAVIV^®—a non-modified autologous fibroblast therapy—through U.S. FDA approval and commercialization.

Mr. Maslowski also serves on the board of Alliance for Regenerative Medicine, an advocacy organization dedicated to advanced therapies, the scientific advisory board of Castle Creek Biosciences, and the advisory board of Life Science Cares Philadelphia, a charitable organization. Mr. Maslowski previously served as the Chairman of the board of directors of Falcon Therapeutics, a privately held Durham, N.C. company focused on the development of cell therapy products for oncology, and on the board of directors of Castle Creek Biosciences and Fibrocell.

Prior to Fibrocell, Mr. Maslowski held positions at major pharmaceutical companies including Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, Merck & Co., Inc., and Teva Pharmaceuticals. Mr. Maslowski received his B.S. in biology from Ursinus College and his M.S. in microbiology from Villanova University.

“The gene and cell therapy industry has seen tremendous growth over the past decade, but GMP manufacturing at larger scales remains a challenge,” said Mr. Maslowski, Forge Chief Commercial Officer. “Forge has developed multiple solutions to support end-to-end GMP AAV manufacturing, and I’m excited to help Forge supply clients with these transformative products.”

This news follows the accelerated growth path of Forge, which has raised over $160M in the past 12 months and completed buildout of the initial suites of the cGMP AAV manufacturing facility.

Reminder

Dr. Miller will be presenting a company overview tomorrow, June 4^th at 11:30 a.m. EST, at the Jefferies Virtual Healthcare Conference. Details on how to view the webcast here or https://wsw.com/webcast/jeff174/forge/1996245.

About Forge Biologics

Forge Biologics is a hybrid gene therapy contract manufacturing and therapeutics development company. Forge’s mission is to enable access to life changing gene therapies and help bring them from idea into reality. Forge has a 175,000 ft² facility in Columbus, Ohio, “The Hearth,” to serve as their headquarters. The Hearth is the home of a custom-designed cGMP facility dedicated to AAV viral vector manufacturing and will host end-to-end manufacturing services to accelerate gene therapy programs from preclinical through clinical and commercial stage manufacturing. By taking a patients-first approach, Forge aims to accelerate the timelines of these transformative medicines for those who need them the most.

For more information, please visit www.forgebiologics.com.