Portugal Colonial - Ascend Advanced Therapies - ABL Inc. Further Strengthens Executive Team as It Drives Forward an Ambitious Growth Strategy

ROCKVILLE, MARYLAND / ACCESS Newswire / January 8, 2026 / Ascend Advanced Therapies - ABL Inc. today announced significant appointments to its leadership team.

• Seiga Ohmine Ph.D. joins as Chief Commercial Officer (CCO)

• Sharad Dubey CA, CPA joins as Chief Financial Officer (CFO)

• Patrick Lansky joins as Senior Vice President of Global Business Development

These appointments reflect Ascend-ABL's focus on strengthening scientific leadership, operational discipline, and customer-centric execution as the company sharpens its positioning as a trusted CDMO partner for advanced viral modalities.

Commenting on the appointments, Alessandra Rispoli, Chief Executive Officer of Ascend-ABL said, "We are making strong progress toward our vision of Ascend‑ABL as a CDMO where scientific leadership meets operational excellence, to accelerate clients from concept to commercialization. With multiple state‑of‑the‑art facilities supporting advanced viral modality manufacturing - and new commercial capacity coming online in 2026 - we are expanding the scale and sophistication of what we can deliver. These appointments allow us to pair growing capabilities with disciplined execution and a growth‑oriented approach as we build durable long‑term value for customers, employees, and shareholders alike."

Leadership Appointments

As Chief Commercial Officer, Seiga Ohmine, Ph.D. will lead the company's global commercial strategy, overseeing business development, sales and marketing. He brings more than 15 years of leadership experience across the CDMO and CRO ecosystem, combined with an exceptional scientific background in virology, gene therapy, and biologics. He holds a Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences with a focus on virology from the Mayo Clinic and has contributed to over 26 peer-reviewed publications.

Prior to joining Ascend-ABL, Ohmine held executive commercial leadership roles at Ajinomoto Bio-Pharma Services, WuXi Advanced Therapies, Pharmaron, and Eurofins Scientific, where he consistently served as a bridge between scientific innovation and product commercialization.

As Chief Financial Officer, Sharad Dubey, CA, CPA, will be responsible for strengthening the company's financial strategy, governance and operational scalability. He brings more than 20 years of financial leadership experience across public accounting, biotech, life sciences, and manufacturing, including multi-site, high-growth, and private equity-backed organizations.

Most recently, Dubey served as VP Finance/BU CFO for Catalent's North America Cell & Gene Therapy business, where he partnered closely with operations and commercial leaders to drive performance, integration, and growth. His earlier experience includes various roles at EY and Deloitte.

As Senior Vice President of Global Business Development, Patrick Lansky will be responsible for expanding strategic partnerships and driving commercial growth. He brings more than 20 years of experience in biopharma and CDMO partnerships, and has held senior roles at SK pharmteco, Cobra Biologics, Althea Technologies and Vetter Pharma.

Seiga Ohmine said: "Ascend-ABL stands out for their scientific depth and breadth in viral modalities. Having spent my career at the intersection of virology, gene therapy, and commercial execution, I am excited to work with developers to deliver meaningful patient outcomes by grounding our approach in rigorous science and adapting to the evolving industry requirements."

"Ascend-ABL is at a critical juncture in its journey that requires financial and operational discipline," said Sharad Dubey. "I look forward to driving the strategic initiatives that strengthen sustainable growth and create lasting value for all stakeholders."

Patrick Lansky added, "Driving business in this space is about more than transactions - it's about developing relationships built on trust and creating solutions that truly align with clients' development journeys. At Ascend‑ABL, we will forge strategic partnerships that accelerate development and deliver measurable impact."

"Since combining Ascend-ABL and bringing on board Alessandra as CEO of the business, the company has entered an exciting phase of growth. With a seasoned leadership team and strong support from blue chip healthcare investors, Ascend‑ABL is well positioned to become a leading CDMO for advanced viral modalities. These appointments ensure that the company continues its strong trajectory of growth as it partners with customers to bring innovative, life-saving products to market." said Evis Hursever, Managing Director at EW Healthcare Partners.

About Ascend-ABL

With unmatched breadth in viral vector manufacturing and world-class AAV expertise, Ascend-ABL offers one of the most advanced capabilities in the industry. Our team specializes in early development through to clinical and commercial GMP manufacturing for gene therapies, oncolytics, vaccines, and immunotherapies.

With 60 years of experience supporting biotech, pharma and government customers combined with the scale and capabilities to deliver, we are uniquely positioned to accelerate innovation from bench to the clinic and beyond.

Ascend-ABL is supported by its investors, EW Healthcare Partners, Abingworth, Monograph Capital, Petrichor, 4BIO Capital and Lingotto Horizon.

Learn more at https://ablinc.com and www.ascend-adv.com. For more information about our services contact us at [email protected].

SOURCE: EW Healthcare Partners

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire

C.Amaral--PC