VIVEbiotech Appoints Patricio Massera as President
VIVEbiotech
Patricio Massera
San Sebastián, Gipuzkoa, Spain, July 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- VIVEbiotech, a leading Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) specializing in lentiviral vector (LVV) development and manufacturing for in vivo and ex vivo gene and cell therapies, today announced the appointment of Patricio Massera as President, in addition to his role on the VIVEbiotech Board of Directors.
The appointment marks a significant step in VIVEbiotech's strategy to scale its capabilities, expand globally, and enhance operational quality and excellence following a recent growth investment from Ampersand Capital Partners, a life sciences and healthcare-focused private equity firm.
Mr. Massera has over 25 years of leadership experience in the biopharmaceutical CDMO sector. Most recently, he served as CEO of AGC Biologics, where he led the company through global facility expansions and advanced its reputation for quality, innovation, and customer satisfaction. In his prior executive roles, Patricio focused on scaling operations, driving quality and operational excellence, and building world-class teams.
'I am honored to join VIVEbiotech at such a pivotal point in its evolution. I firmly believe that VIVE's unique value proposition is redefining the standards by which CDMOs address customer needs and drive meaningful advancements that improve lives.' said Mr. Massera. 'I look forward to working closely with the Board and the leadership team to enhance operational robustness, expand capabilities, and strengthen the strategic partnerships that define VIVE's commitment to customer success.'
Mr. Massera joins VIVEbiotech's leadership team alongside Chairperson Dr. Stefan Beyer—a seasoned CDMO executive and former CEO of Vibalogics—and CEO Jon Alberdi, who has led the company's emergence as a global leader in lentiviral vector manufacturing.
'Patricio brings a unique combination of strategic vision, technical expertise, and operational excellence,' said Dr. Stefan Beyer, Chairperson of VIVEbiotech. 'He has consistently demonstrated a strong ability to scale organizations while upholding excellence in quality and customer service. The Board is confident in his ability to help lead VIVEbiotech into its next phase of growth. We are delighted to welcome him and look forward to working closely together.'
Jon Alberdi, CEO, VIVEbiotech added, 'Patricio's deep industry knowledge and leadership skills are a perfect fit for our ambitious goals. I look forward to working together to deliver exceptional value to our clients and to further strengthen our position as a leading CDMO.'
VIVEbiotech is one of the few CDMOs globally with deep expertise in both ex vivo and in vivo lentiviral vector development and manufacturing. Its fully integrated service offering supports therapies across a range of indications, including oncology (CAR-T, NK), autoimmune diseases, and vaccines. VIVE serves established global pharmaceutical leaders as well as emerging, innovative start-ups, with a customer base spanning Europe, the U.S., and Australia.
About VIVEbiotechVIVEbiotech is a Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) specializing in lentiviral vectors for gene and cell therapy. Founded in 2015, VIVEbiotech operates under EMA and FDA standards, serving over 40 biotech companies globally. The company focuses on scalable, high-yield manufacturing processes and cutting-edge technologies. With expertise in both ex vivo and in vivo applications, VIVEbiotech supports the development and commercialization of therapies for cancers and rare diseases. For more information about VIVEbiotech, please visit vivebiotech.com.
About Ampersand Capital PartnersAmpersand Capital Partners, founded in 1988, is a middle-market private equity firm with $3 billion of assets under management, dedicated to growth-oriented investments in the healthcare sector. With offices in Boston, MA, and Amsterdam, Netherlands, Ampersand leverages a unique blend of private equity and operating experience to build value and drive long-term performance alongside its portfolio company management teams. Ampersand has helped build numerous market-leading companies across each of the firm's core healthcare sectors. For additional information, visit AmpersandCapital.com or follow us on LinkedIn.
Attachments
VIVEbiotech
Patricio Massera
CONTACT: Naiara Tejados, PhD VIVEbiotech T +34 943 308 568 – Ext. 244 ntejados@vivebiotech.comSign in to access your portfolio
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
To feed growing demand for octopus, Spain relies on foreign fisheries
Spain is turning to farms and foreign fisheries to meet the growing demand for octopus. This shift comes as Spain's octopus population faces a decline due to overfishing and environmental changes. (AP Video by María Gestoso and Annika Hammerschlag. Produced by Julián Trejo Bax)
Associated Press
2 hours ago
- Associated Press
As octopuses dwindle in Spanish waters, suppliers look to imports and farming despite concerns
GALICIA, Spain (AP) — At a humming factory in the Spanish town of O Carballino, workers sling dozens of limp octopuses into a metal cauldron, wincing as strings of slime splatter their aprons. Nearby, others slice tentacles and pack them into vacuum-sealed bags destined for restaurants and retailers across Europe, Asia and the United States — part of a growing global appetite for an animal that's become increasingly scarce in its native waters. Though O Carballino proudly calls itself Spain's octopus capital — complete with a towering bronze octopus statue, streets lined with the pulperias that offer them up to diners and an annual octopus festival that draws tens of thousands — the century-old factory hasn't sourced a single animal from local waters in 10 years. 'Here in Galicia, octopus has become really, really variable and scarce,' said Carlos Arcos, export manager of Frigorificos Arcos SL. 'If you're industrializing a process like we do, you need to guarantee your customers regularity of supply.' Today, 100% of the company's octopus comes from Mauritania and Morocco. While octopus numbers fluctuate naturally from year to year, scientists and fishers say Spain's long-term trend is downward and surging international demand is only tightening the squeeze. That's prompted some companies to explore farming the animals in tanks to ensure a long-term supply — a prospect that's drawn pushback from animal welfare groups. Pressure forces closure of Spain's octopus fishery This summer, that pressure reached a breaking point. Spain's octopus fishery closed for three months — an unusually long pause meant to give it time to recover. 'The population has only just come back, but once the season opens, we'll destroy it all in two weeks,' said Juan Martínez, a fisherman of more than four decades. Beside him, hundreds of octopus traps sat idle, stacked along the dock in his home port of Cangas. 'This used to be a sustainable industry, but now we've broken an entire ecosystem.' Octopus populations in Galicia also depend heavily on nutrient-rich upwelling — deep ocean water rising to the surface and bringing food for octopuses — said Ángel González, a research professor at the Spanish National Research Council. While upwelling naturally fluctuates, climate change is altering wind patterns, ocean stratification and nutrient delivery, making those cycles less predictable and, in some years, less productive. 'When that weakens due to changing oceanographic and atmospheric conditions, numbers drop regardless of fishing.' In response to growing demand and shrinking wild stocks, some companies in Spain are attempting to farm octopus in captivity — a move they say could ease pressure on the oceans. Grupo Profand is developing a research hatchery in Galicia focused on overcoming the biological challenges of breeding octopus. Meanwhile, seafood giant Nueva Pescanova is pursuing a full-scale industrial farm that would raise up to a million octopuses a year for slaughter. Grupo Profand did not respond to an interview request. A spokesperson for Nueva Pescanova declined to comment. Animal welfare groups say octopus shouldn't be farmed Animal welfare groups have condemned the proposed project as inhumane, citing plans to kill octopuses by submerging them in ice slurry and to confine the often-cannibalistic animals at high densities. They also warn it would pollute nearby waters with discharged waste, worsen overfishing of wild fish used for feed and inflict suffering on one of the ocean's most complex creatures. 'Farming wild animals is cruel, but especially with octopuses given their solitary nature and extremely high intelligence,' said Helena Constela, head of communications at Seaspiracy, a group that advocates against industrial fishing. Keeping them confined together in tanks, she said, is 'basically torture in slow motion.' Michael Sealey, senior policy advisor at Oceana Europe, said aquaculture should focus on species with lower environmental costs, such as oysters and mussels, which require no fish feed. 'We recognize that aquaculture has a role to play in feeding the world,' said Michael Sealey, senior policy advisor at Oceana Europe. 'But we need to prioritize low-impact farming — not systems that rely on feeding wild fish to carnivorous species.' Widespread concerns have already prompted action in the United States. Washington became the first state to ban octopus farming in 2024, followed by California, which also outlawed the sale of farmed octopus. Lawmakers in more than half a dozen other states have proposed similar bans, and a bipartisan federal bill to prohibit both farming and imports of farmed octopus is under consideration in Congress. Though no commercial farms currently operate in the U.S., these preemptive measures reflect mounting unease over projects moving ahead in Europe, Asia and parts of Central and South America — unease fueled in part by the 2020 Oscar-winning documentary 'My Octopus Teacher,' which showcased the animals' intelligence and emotional complexity to millions on Netflix. The arguments in favor of farming 'They have a real brain. They're able to do things other animals cannot,' said González of the Spanish National Research Council. 'But please — don't cross the line. It's an animal, it's an invertebrate. We can't extrapolate these kinds of things. Personality is linked to persons.' González, who is working with Grupo Profand on their research hatchery, believes farming could help restore wild stocks by raising juvenile octopuses in captivity for release back into the sea — an approach animal welfare groups argue could pave the way for industrial-scale farming. Javier Ojeda, national aquaculture representative at APROMAR, Spain's aquaculture business association, said aquatic animals can play a key role in food security and may be more efficient to raise than livestock. 'Octopuses grow extremely fast and efficiently — they're not fighting gravity and they don't spend energy heating their bodies,' he said. He acknowledged welfare concerns but argued they should not block scientific progress. 'Farming octopus is something that cannot be stopped,' said Ojeda. 'We've been eating them for a long time. Now we need to try to find best practices.' ___ Follow Annika Hammerschlag on Instagram @ahammergram. ___ The Associated Press receives support from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental policy. The AP is solely responsible for all content. For all of AP's environmental coverage, visit
Forbes
5 hours ago
- Forbes
A Real Betis Gemstone: Nelson Deossa's Path From The Mines To La Liga
Nelson Deossa's jump from Mexican club Monterrey to Spanish team Real Betis isn't quite the window's blockbuster signing. It does make a case for being the most interesting, though. Yesterday, Betis unveiled the Colombian midfielder, who officially joined on August 4. While some reports have the price slightly lower, ESPN says the transfer sum (Spanish) was approximately €14.5 million ($17 million), making him the third-largest sale ever from Liga MX. He's also among the top ten most expensive acquisitions made by Betis, which broke the transfer world record to sign Denilson back in 1998. Deossa's contract runs until 2030. On their own, these are extraneous details when you consider that, just six years ago, Deossa had long odds of becoming a professional soccer player in the first place, let alone playing at a strong team in one of Europe's elite leagues. Los Verdiblancos' arrival was working alongside his father in the mines near his small hometown of Marmato. Stepping out from the underground darkness, the game was an outlet rather than an obvious career pathway. 'I was studying and working,' he once told the television channel at Pachuca, where he used to play, adding. 'I saw myself frustrated a lot of the time, but I didn't quit the dream (soccer) and made the most of the opportunities I had.' If the mines didn't bring gold, soccer would in the end, and his first opportunity to star competitively in Spain could come on Monday, when Betis takes on promoted Elche. Deossa Brings Rawness But Vigor To La Liga Depending on how you look at it, Deossa arrived with a handicap, first at Atlético Huila before moving to Pachuca and Monterrey via loans, including Estudiantes in Argentina. In a fiercely competitive business, he missed out on a formal soccer education, further disrupted by the pandemic. And he's now settling into a country where the soccer education yields such fine players. However, it's made Deossa a unique talent. 'With little schooling. With a lot of heart, intuition, and fortitude,' is how a recent El Mundo article puts it (Spanish). Indeed, watching Deossa at his last club, Monterrey, he's direct, running back and forth, and with a rocket of a shot. Club World Cup viewers may remember the South American receiving the ball, skipping past an opponent, and thwacking in a long-range goal against Urawa Reds in June. He scored seven in 29 matches for Rayados. It will be fascinating to see how Deossa adapts to, or changes the rhythm, at coach Manuel Pellegrini's Betis, which is looking to build on a promising 2024/25 season, despite losing the Conference League final to Chelsea. Elsewhere in midfield, Betis has lost a valuable cog in USMNT player Johnny Cardoso to Atlético Madrid, is without Isco due to a serious injury, and knows holding onto Manchester United loanee Antony will be tough. Rodrigo Riquelme has come in from Atleti. Coincidentally, regarding Deossa, the origins of soccer in Spain go back to the mines. In and around Huelva, part of the Andalusia region, like Sevilla-based Betis, the first informal kickarounds took place roughly 150 years ago. Drawn to Los Verdiblanos after speaking with colleagues Sergio Canales and Cucho Hernández, both familiar with the team, his first kicks are just around the corner. Bringing a different background and all-action style to the team, Deossa is a La Liga addition worth following.
