Adelaide-based COVID vaccine developer Sementis has appointed Dr Anne Collins as its chief operating officer.
Dr Collins has 30 years of experience in leadership roles in the medical technology and pharmaceutical industries across listed, private and start-up entities.
She has led global teams in developing and commercialising biological therapies as well as a novel blood collection medical device.
Dr Collins previously provided business growth support to South Australian medical technology and pharmaceutical companies as growth facilitator with Business SA’s Entrepreneurs Programme.
In the new role with Sementis, Dr Collins will be responsible for overseeing the end-to-end operations of the business. She will lead the manufacturing strategy by supporting the business transformation from research focused to a clinical-stage business.
“Sementis has developed Australia’s most advanced viral vector vaccine platform technology that can be adapted to fight a wide range of diseases into the future,” said the company.
The company is currently focused on the development of a next-generation COVID-19 vaccine based on the Sementis Copenhagen Vector (SCV) platform supported by the Medical Research Futures Fund (MRFF) in partnership with the University of South Australia.
Sementis CEO Leanne Hobbs said Dr Collins’ appointment signalled a new era of growth for the company.
“Anne’s global experience in the strategic development, manufacturing and commercialisation of biological products comes at exactly the right time for Sementis,” said Ms Hobbs.
“Anne has hands-on experience in bio-manufacturing having run the Adelaide site of global pharmaceutical company Hospira (now BioCina). She is an expert in producing regulated biological materials and has a complete understanding of the requirements of managing such activities.
“Her outstanding background in the industry, coupled with proven expertise in manufacturing, capability building and business development, makes Anne a valuable addition to our team.”
“I’m relishing the opportunity to work with a team at the top of its game to make an impact in the fight against Covid and other diseases,” added Dr Collins.
