Dr. Marques brings more than 20 years of global experience in Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls (CMC), spanning biologics, cell and gene therapies, from early-stage development through commercial launch. He joins Morphocell at a pivotal moment as the company scales its operations to support clinical and commercial readiness of its allogeneic, stem cell-derived engineered liver tissue platform.

 

Most recently, Dr. Marques served as Vice President of Technical Development at Century Therapeutics, where he built and led Process, Drug Product and Analytical Development functions supporting the clinical supply of iPSC-derived therapies across multiple geographies and indications. He also played an integral role in the design of a GMP manufacturing facility and led Manufacturing Science & Technology with responsibility for GMP operations. Prior to Century, he spent 14 years at Merck and GlaxoSmithKline, contributing to the development and commercialization of several biologics, including NUCALA® (mepolizumab), and later supporting cell and gene therapy manufacturing strategy.

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“Bruno is one of the most accomplished and forward-thinking leaders in advanced therapy manufacturing,” said Dr. Massimiliano Paganelli, Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of Morphocell. “He combines rare experience in bringing multiple products to market with hands-on success in advancing iPSC-derived therapies into the clinic. As we prepare for IND submission and clinical-scale manufacturing of ReLiver®, his leadership will be instrumental in ensuring our processes are robust, scalable and aligned with our long-term commercial vision. This is a major step forward in building the operational backbone required to deliver tissue-engineered organ replacement therapies to patients.”

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ReLiver® is Morphocell’s first off-the-shelf, encapsulated, stem cell-derived engineered liver tissue designed to temporarily replace liver function in patients with acute and acute-on-chronic liver failure, without the need for immunosuppression. As the company progresses through IND-enabling studies and prepares for first-in-human trials, strengthening technical operations and manufacturing capabilities is central to its strategy.

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“I am thrilled to join Morphocell at such an exciting stage,” said Dr. Marques. “ReLiver® represents a truly novel therapeutic paradigm, engineered tissue designed for functional organ replacement. The team has generated compelling preclinical data and established a strong scientific and clinical foundation. I look forward to building and scaling the technical operations organization to support clinical development and, ultimately, global patient access.”

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Dr. Marques holds a PhD in Chemical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University and is widely recognized as a rising leader in the manufacturing of advanced regenerative medicine therapies. He currently serves as a scientific advisor to academic and industrial institutions and chairs the ECI Advancing Manufacture of Cell and Gene Therapies conference.

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With this appointment, Morphocell further strengthens its executive team as it advances its mission to harness advanced tissue engineering to deliver life-saving solutions for people suffering from severe liver disease. The addition of Dr. Marques underscores the company’s commitment to operational excellence as it moves toward clinical validation and long-term commercial success.