Contract Services

Arcinova strengthens presence in US market with key senior appointments

Arcinova, a multi-service Contract Research and Development Organisation (CRDO), has appointed Gail Frey as Senior Director of US Key Accounts and Masha Kononov as Senior Director of Emerging Pharmaceuticals to drive its growth in the US pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors.
 
Arcinova provides small-scale drug development, manufacturing and analytical services to specialty pharma and biotech companies across the globe. In these new roles, Gail and Masha will be responsible for spearheading Arcinova’s growth in the US.
 
Based in North Carolina, Gail Frey brings a wealth of pharmaceutical industry experience to the new role as Senior Director of US Key Accounts. She was previously the Assistant Director, Strategic Business Development at the Duke Clinical Research Institute at Duke University School of Medicine. Her experience also includes five years as Senior Director, Business Development for Early Clinical Research Services at Covance – the former owner of Arcinova’s UK site. She has also held senior business development positions at PAREXEL International, Charles River Laboratories and PPD.
 
Masha Kononov has been appointed as Senior Director of Emerging Pharmaceuticals US Business Development. She has more than 20 years of experience in pharma and biotech, having started her career in R&D roles at Syngenta Biotechnology Inc. and Curaxis Pharmaceutical Corp. before moving into business development. Her most recent role was as Senior Commercial Manager for Chemo, part of the Spanish multinational corporation Insud Pharma. Her business development experience also includes three years as a Business Development Executive at Catalent Pharma Solutions.
 
This strategic expansion comes at an important time for Arcinova, having recently received a £5 million investment from the Business Growth Fund to drive continued innovation as well as advancement into international markets. International sales already account for 50% of Arcinova’s business and the US market is expected to provide further growth, contributing to the target of 70-80% of export sales within 5 years. With their combined expertise, Gail and Masha will be crucial in driving Arcinova’s expansion into US markets, supporting the company’s long-term international ambitions.
 
Gail Frey said: “It’s an exciting time to be joining Arcinova. I look forward to working with this world-class scientific team to expand our presence in the US.”
 
Masha Kononov added: “It’s fantastic to be part of Arcinova’s expansion into the US, as its capabilities in product development are in great demand in the industry.
 
“I look forward to working with Arcinova and helping the company to engage with more small and emerging biotech firms in the US.”
Ian Shott, Executive Director and CEO of Arcinova, commented: “We are delighted to welcome Gail and Masha to Arcinova and look forward to seeing them play key roles in driving our US growth strategy. Their combined wide network of contacts, vast experience across R&D, clinical and pre-clinical services and knowledge of the pharma and biotech landscape will be a major asset for Arcinova as we move forward in the US.”