Wheeler Bio, an agile and boutique contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), today announced the appointment of Patrick Lucy as chief executive officer. Patrick joins Wheeler with more than 32 years of extensive experience in the biotechnology industry. As a seasoned senior executive, he has overseen numerous company milestones and driven significant growth.
"We are thrilled to welcome Patrick to the Wheeler team," said Jesse McCool, Ph.D., co-founder and chief scientific officer of Wheeler Bio. "His impressive track record of establishing and scaling biotechnology organizations makes him the right leader to guide Wheeler as we transition to a fully integrated commercial-scale CDMO."
Patrick most recently served as president and CEO of RoslinCT US (formerly Lykan Bioscience), a cell therapy contract manufacturer based in Hopkinton, Massachusetts, and Edinburgh, Scotland. Under his leadership, he led the successful launch of the Lykan business and, just 19 months later, orchestrated its sale to GHO Capital, providing a successful exit for the original private equity investors. Following this acquisition, GHO integrated Lykan and RoslinCT under the RoslinCT name, further solidifying their market presence.
"I am honored to join Wheeler Bio at such a pivotal time," said Patrick Lucy. "Jesse and the entire Wheeler team have built a strong scientific foundation, and I am excited to lead Wheeler into the future with the support of our investors. I am confident that Wheeler and the Oklahoma biotechnology ecosystem are well-positioned to support both clinical and commercial-stage biotechnology production, establishing it as the next major biotechnology cluster in the United States."
Prior to Lykan Bioscience, Patrick was a founder and served in the roles of senior vice president and chief business officer at Pfenex Inc., a publicly traded biotechnology company (NYSE: PFNX) that started as a spin-out from The Dow Chemical Company in 2009 and was later acquired by Ligand Pharmaceuticals in October 2020 for up to $516 million. Earlier in his career, he held positions at Repligen Corporation, Celltech Biologics, Lonza Biologics, and Collaborative BioAlliance.
"Patrick Lucy is a remarkable leader with exceptional instincts, sharp business acumen, and decades of diverse experience in the industry," said Christian Kanady, co-founder of Wheeler Bio and founding partner and CEO of Echo. "As we enter the next phase of Wheeler Bio’s growth, Patrick’s fresh perspective will be vital in shaping our long-term vision and positioning the company for great success. In turn, his leadership will help solidify Oklahoma City as a hub that fosters and unlocks American innovation in drug discovery and development."
"Patrick’s deep expertise and proven leadership in the industry make him an invaluable addition to the Wheeler team," said Errik Anderson, co-founder of Wheeler Bio and CEO and founder of Alloy Therapeutics. "With Patrick’s leadership, Alloy is excited to see this next chapter of Wheeler’s growth, delivering high quality CMC services from clinical to commercial-stage production for partners."
