Latest news with #TrailheadBiosystems
Globe and Mail
20-05-2025
- Business
- Globe and Mail
Trailhead Biosystems Announces David Llewellyn, PhD, MBA, as Chief Executive Officer
BEACHWOOD, Ohio , May 20, 2025 /CNW/ -- Trailhead Biosystems Inc. ( a biotechnology company pioneering the creation of iPSC-derived human cells at scale for drug discovery and cell therapy, is pleased to announce the appointment of David Llewellyn, PhD, MBA as its new Chief Executive Officer, and as a member of its Board of Directors. Dr. Llewellyn succeeds Jan Jensen , PhD, who has led the company as Chief Executive Officer and Chief Scientific Officer since its founding. Dr. Jensen will continue with Trailhead Biosystems as Chief Scientific Officer and Board member. "We are pleased to welcome Dr. Llewellyn to the company," said Michael Kaufman , Chairman of the Board of Trailhead Biosystems. "David brings with him over 20 years of experience commercializing life science products. His strong scientific and business acumen will be invaluable as Trailhead continues to innovate and expand." Dr. Jensen reflected on the transition, stating, "Trailhead Biosystems has reached an exciting inflection point, and bringing David Llewellyn on to the executive team marks the start of an ambitious new chapter. His expertise in life sciences and business strategy makes him the right leader to propel us onward, and I look forward to working alongside him to accelerate the commercialization of our groundbreaking technologies." Dr. Llewellyn began his career at MethylGene Inc. as a Medicinal Chemist where he developed a wide range of novel DNA methyltransferase inhibitors to treat cancer. He later joined Aquinox Pharmaceuticals, where he was involved in a variety of different activities including business development, financing and operations. Most recently, Dr. Llewellyn worked with STEMCELL Technologies Inc., where he held several top executive roles including Senior Vice President of Business Operations, Chief Commercial Officer, and Chief Strategy Officer. David holds a BSc in Chemistry from the University of Northern British Columbia , a PhD in Organic Chemistry from McGill University , and an MBA in Strategic Management from the University of British Columbia. "I am honored to step into the role of CEO and join the Board of Trailhead Biosystems," said Dr. Llewellyn. "Trailhead's proprietary High-Dimensional Design-of-Experiments Technology (HD-DoE ®) is a groundbreaking approach for making differentiated induced pluripotent stem cells, and there is no question that it's going to play an important role advancing stem cell research." Trailhead Biosystems is dedicated to revolutionizing medical research and the field of regenerative medicine by developing specialized, high-quality iPSC-derived human cells for drug discovery and cell-based therapies. Under Dr. Llewellyn's leadership, Trailhead plans to expand on its mission of advancing healthcare through scientific innovation with a strong commitment to commercial and scientific excellence.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trailhead Biosystems Announces David Llewellyn, PhD, MBA, as Chief Executive Officer
BEACHWOOD, Ohio, May 20, 2025 /CNW/ -- Trailhead Biosystems Inc. ( a biotechnology company pioneering the creation of iPSC-derived human cells at scale for drug discovery and cell therapy, is pleased to announce the appointment of David Llewellyn, PhD, MBA as its new Chief Executive Officer, and as a member of its Board of Directors. Dr. Llewellyn succeeds Jan Jensen, PhD, who has led the company as Chief Executive Officer and Chief Scientific Officer since its founding. Dr. Jensen will continue with Trailhead Biosystems as Chief Scientific Officer and Board member. "We are pleased to welcome Dr. Llewellyn to the company," said Michael Kaufman, Chairman of the Board of Trailhead Biosystems. "David brings with him over 20 years of experience commercializing life science products. His strong scientific and business acumen will be invaluable as Trailhead continues to innovate and expand." Dr. Jensen reflected on the transition, stating, "Trailhead Biosystems has reached an exciting inflection point, and bringing David Llewellyn on to the executive team marks the start of an ambitious new chapter. His expertise in life sciences and business strategy makes him the right leader to propel us onward, and I look forward to working alongside him to accelerate the commercialization of our groundbreaking technologies." Dr. Llewellyn began his career at MethylGene Inc. as a Medicinal Chemist where he developed a wide range of novel DNA methyltransferase inhibitors to treat cancer. He later joined Aquinox Pharmaceuticals, where he was involved in a variety of different activities including business development, financing and operations. Most recently, Dr. Llewellyn worked with STEMCELL Technologies Inc., where he held several top executive roles including Senior Vice President of Business Operations, Chief Commercial Officer, and Chief Strategy Officer. David holds a BSc in Chemistry from the University of Northern British Columbia, a PhD in Organic Chemistry from McGill University, and an MBA in Strategic Management from the University of British Columbia. "I am honored to step into the role of CEO and join the Board of Trailhead Biosystems," said Dr. Llewellyn. "Trailhead's proprietary High-Dimensional Design-of-Experiments Technology (HD-DoE®) is a groundbreaking approach for making differentiated induced pluripotent stem cells, and there is no question that it's going to play an important role advancing stem cell research." Trailhead Biosystems is dedicated to revolutionizing medical research and the field of regenerative medicine by developing specialized, high-quality iPSC-derived human cells for drug discovery and cell-based therapies. Under Dr. Llewellyn's leadership, Trailhead plans to expand on its mission of advancing healthcare through scientific innovation with a strong commitment to commercial and scientific excellence. For more information, please contact:Tim Mauk, Corporate CommunicationsTrailhead BiosystemsEmail: info@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Trailhead Biosystems Inc View original content to download multimedia:
Cision Canada
20-05-2025
- Business
- Cision Canada
Trailhead Biosystems Announces David Llewellyn, PhD, MBA, as Chief Executive Officer
BEACHWOOD, Ohio, May 20, 2025 /CNW/ -- Trailhead Biosystems Inc. ( a biotechnology company pioneering the creation of iPSC-derived human cells at scale for drug discovery and cell therapy, is pleased to announce the appointment of David Llewellyn, PhD, MBA as its new Chief Executive Officer, and as a member of its Board of Directors. Dr. Llewellyn succeeds Jan Jensen, PhD, who has led the company as Chief Executive Officer and Chief Scientific Officer since its founding. Dr. Jensen will continue with Trailhead Biosystems as Chief Scientific Officer and Board member. "We are pleased to welcome Dr. Llewellyn to the company," said Michael Kaufman, Chairman of the Board of Trailhead Biosystems. "David brings with him over 20 years of experience commercializing life science products. His strong scientific and business acumen will be invaluable as Trailhead continues to innovate and expand." Dr. Jensen reflected on the transition, stating, "Trailhead Biosystems has reached an exciting inflection point, and bringing David Llewellyn on to the executive team marks the start of an ambitious new chapter. His expertise in life sciences and business strategy makes him the right leader to propel us onward, and I look forward to working alongside him to accelerate the commercialization of our groundbreaking technologies." Dr. Llewellyn began his career at MethylGene Inc. as a Medicinal Chemist where he developed a wide range of novel DNA methyltransferase inhibitors to treat cancer. He later joined Aquinox Pharmaceuticals, where he was involved in a variety of different activities including business development, financing and operations. Most recently, Dr. Llewellyn worked with STEMCELL Technologies Inc., where he held several top executive roles including Senior Vice President of Business Operations, Chief Commercial Officer, and Chief Strategy Officer. David holds a BSc in Chemistry from the University of Northern British Columbia, a PhD in Organic Chemistry from McGill University, and an MBA in Strategic Management from the University of British Columbia. "I am honored to step into the role of CEO and join the Board of Trailhead Biosystems," said Dr. Llewellyn. "Trailhead's proprietary High-Dimensional Design-of-Experiments Technology (HD-DoE ®) is a groundbreaking approach for making differentiated induced pluripotent stem cells, and there is no question that it's going to play an important role advancing stem cell research." Trailhead Biosystems is dedicated to revolutionizing medical research and the field of regenerative medicine by developing specialized, high-quality iPSC-derived human cells for drug discovery and cell-based therapies. Under Dr. Llewellyn's leadership, Trailhead plans to expand on its mission of advancing healthcare through scientific innovation with a strong commitment to commercial and scientific excellence.
Cision Canada
06-05-2025
- Business
- Cision Canada
Trailhead Biosystems Secures $20 Million to Drive Innovation and Accelerate Growth
BEACHWOOD, Ohio, May 6, 2025 /CNW/ --Trailhead Biosystems Inc. ( a biotechnology company advancing human cell innovation, has secured $20 million in financing. Trailhead specializes in precisely differentiating induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) into functional human cell types—unlocking new possibilities for research and cell therapy. Through its proprietary High-Dimensional Design of Experiments (HD-DoE®) platform, Trailhead optimizes differentiation with exceptional accuracy, enabling scalable solutions for both drug discovery and regenerative medicine. The investment, led by MAK Capital with participation from additional investors, comes at a critical phase of Trailhead's growth, enabling expansion in personnel, manufacturing and strategic partnerships. Accelerating Growth in Research Markets The funding will enhance Trailhead's rapidly expanding portfolio of iPSC-derived cells for research applications, advancing preclinical drug discovery and disease modeling. The company recently introduced TrailBio® Vascular Leptomeningeal Cells (VLMCs) for blood-brain barrier research, addressing a critical need in neuroscience and drug delivery. Upcoming product introductions include iPSC-derived pancreatic islets, hepatocytes, dopaminergic neurons and hematopoietic progenitors, providing researchers with highly specialized human cell models to drive breakthroughs. Beyond its off-the-shelf offerings, Trailhead remains dedicated to custom cell differentiation services, enabling scientists to refine existing models or develop novel cell types with precise biological fidelity. As the FDA shifts toward human-based lab models as alternatives to animal testing, Trailhead's human-relevant cell products provide a scalable and predictive solution for modern drug development and safety testing. These new approaches enhance high-throughput screening, disease modeling and the development of organoid and organ-on-a-chip research platforms. Strengthening Therapeutic Partnerships This funding also strengthens Trailhead's ability to support therapeutic partners, driving innovation and scalability in cell-based therapies. Investments in infrastructure and personnel will enhance manufacturing capabilities, streamline production workflows and deepen collaborations with leading industry partners in regenerative medicine. "This investment allows us to further advance how iPSCs are differentiated into precise human cell types for both drug discovery and therapeutic development," said Jan Jensen, Ph.D., CEO/CSO and founder of Trailhead Biosystems. "By optimizing scalable differentiation processes, we are enabling researchers to accelerate discovery and develop more predictive models, while also supporting the next generation of cell-based therapies." About Trailhead Biosystems Trailhead Biosystems, Inc. is pioneering the informatics-based approach in regenerative medicine and drug discovery. Founded in 2015 as a spinout from the Cleveland Clinic and Case Western Reserve University, Trailhead emerged from the research of CEO/CSO Dr. Jan Jensen during his tenure as an endowed professor at the Cleveland Clinic. Trailhead creates optimized human cells at scale with its proprietary High-Dimensional Design of Experiments (HD-DoE®) platform. HD-DoE® integrates advanced mathematical modeling with high-throughput robotic manufacturing. Trailhead operates facilities in Beachwood, Ohio, with a business development office in Kendall Square, Cambridge, MA. For more information, please contact:
