New VP appointment at Abzena

Life sciences company Abzena has appointed Dr Jim Mills as vice president of technical operations.

The Cambridge-based group, which provides services and technologies that enable the development of biopharmaceutical products, said Mills will be a member of its executive management team, reporting to chief executive John Burt.

He will take a lead role in the development of the group's strategy to support its partners' access to Abzena's technologies for biopharmaceutical development, as well as providing support for the commercial activities of the group.

Mills was most recently chief executive officer of Cantab Biopharmaceuticals, which he joined in 1997, initially to work in process development.

He took on roles with increasing levels of responsibility in biopharmaceutical manufacturing before becoming director of operations following the acquisition of Cantab by Xenova in 2007 and became chief executive in 2010 when the company was taken over by Celtic Pharma Holdings.

John Burt said: "We are delighted to welcome Jim to Abzena and I look forward to working with him as the company continues its commercial and corporate development."