NECSTGEN announces the addition of Markwin Velders to its strategic advisory board. Markwin Velders brings almost 20 years of experience as entrepreneur in the field of cell and gene therapy. He is Chairman of HollandBIO and co-founder of various biotech companies. As VP Operation at Kite Pharma, he led the establishment of a large scale CAR-T manufacturing site, after Kite’s acquisition by Gilead.

“NECSTGEN can play a crucial role in the development of new cell and gene therapies, and thereby provide a solution to numerous patients. It offers a solution to many researchers and young companies with revolutionary therapies. This field holds great potential and I am excited to join in making the company’s ambition a reality.”

Dr. Markwin Velders obtained his PhD in molecular immunology at Leiden University and worked as post-doc and assistant professor at Loyola University, authoring over 40 peer reviewed papers. He was CSO at AM-Pharma, a biopharma company developing treatment for acute kidney injury. Markwin subsequently joined TNO, where he held positions as Operations Manager and Business Unit Manager. In 2013, he was involved in NKI spin-off T-Cell Factory. There he played a crucial role in its acquisition by Kite Pharma. He was also CEO of SomantiX, a biotech company developing on angiogenesis inhibitors. From 2015 until 2020, Markwin Velders worked as Vice President Operations at Kite Pharma. In this period he established the company’s EU headquarters and built the organization from 3 until 300+ employees. After the company’s acquisition by Gilead, in 2017, Markwin headed the establishment of its CAR-T commercial manufacturing site, in Hoofddorp. He played a key role in the clinical advancement and commercial launch of its therapies in Europe. As of 2017 he is chairman of the board of HollandBIO, the association of Dutch biotech companies. He is also supervisory board member at Amarna Therapeutics, a Dutch gene therapy developer, and ISA Pharmaceuticals, a clinical stage immunotherapy company. Markwin Velders brings over 19 years of experience at leading positions in various biotech companies. He combines scientific and commercial experience, specifically in the field of cell and gene therapy.