Non-profit generic drugmaker Civica tapped Jay Benson as its next chief manufacturing and supply chain officer last week.
Benson, whose 30 years of experience in the biopharma industry include clinical and commercial manufacturing experience, will replace Russ Gall, who recently announced his retirement.
Benson previously served as VP of global operations for Thermo Fisher Scientific’s Clinical Diagnostics Division. He also spent time working at Takeda, where he led multiple biologic drug manufacturing facilities.
Benson joins Civica as it prepares to begin operations at its facility in Petersburg, Virginia, where it will produce biosimilar insulin for California residents. The state partnered with Civica in March as part of an initiative to lower insulin costs by working directly with a contract manufacturer.
When the partnership was announced, the drugmaker said it also planned to explore options for a manufacturing facility in California.
“[Benson’s] extensive biopharma leadership experience will be a terrific addition to our team as we fulfill our dreams of making essential generic medications to address drug shortages in hospitals and biosimilar insulin to make it more affordable to people living with diabetes across the U.S.,” Civica President and CEO Ned McCoy said in a statement.
