AABB interviewed Scott Grady, SBB, MSTM, MBA, Business Development Manager at Versiti Inc., a participating organization at the inaugural Biotherapies Pavilion at the 2023 AABB Annual Meeting. Read the interview below to learn more about the Versiti Inc. team.
My name is Scott Grady. I'm the director of business development for cellular therapy and leukapheresis products at Versiti. I'm from, and have always lived, in Wisconsin. I'm blessed with a beautiful wife, three wonderful daughters and a loving golden retriever named Macy. I've had the privilege to work at Versiti for the past 15 years. I've held a variety of roles during that time, starting in our platelet and neutrophil immunology laboratory, then moving into an upstream marketing position, where I managed our portfolios in transfusion medicine and hematology. In 2019, I took on the director of cellular therapies role, where I am responsible for identifying, collaborating with and supporting novel therapy developers. Versiti has expanded our biomaterial provision offerings greatly, including building a collection center for leukapheresis products in Austin, TX, which sources RUO and 21 CFR 1271 compliant leukopak products to the cell and gene therapy industry.
Versiti is a world-class blood health organization with locations across the midwest and Texas, helping to save lives for more than 75 years. We have now grown to approximately 2,400 employees. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Versiti was formed with a mission of service to improve patient outcomes, advance the field of personalized medicine and strengthen the health of communities everywhere. We are deeply rooted in the communities we serve, providing innovative, value-added solutions in the fields of transfusion medicine, transplantation and blood-related diseases. From research, clinical care and diagnostic testing to the sharing of lifesaving gifts through blood, organ and tissue donation, the collective efforts across Versiti result in more hope for the communities we serve.
Through extension of our diagnostic laboratories and inorganic growth, Versiti has built a clinical trials services division to provide a number of services for our clinical trial partners, including central laboratory services, clinical trial logistics, custom assay development, biomaterials and a nonprofit IRB.
The major macro-economic headwinds that have plagued all industries have also challenged Versiti. Challenges in employee retention, blood donor recruitment and collections, rising costs and unpredictable business climates resulting from the pandemic have tested Versiti’s ability to be nimble in our approach to service. Through strong leadership and diversified service lines, Versiti has experienced growth in the last five years. We are strongly positioned to continue serving our donors and our physician/hospital partners, while continuing to invest in new capabilities and technologies to push the boundaries in blood health innovation.
At Versiti, we know people need people. To best support our local communities, patients nationwide, and enable the development of new science and medicine, Versiti is committed to our people. We continue to strengthen our relations with our employees, blood donors and partners. We recognize that without them, we cannot be successful with current services or innovations. In a similar vein, Versiti continues to integrate our business operations to better serve our customers.
Some of the most exciting developments have been in Versiti’s Clinical Trials services. Recent acquisitions of Cenetron Salus IRB, and Quantigen, together with our investment and expansion of service to the cell and gene therapy space, positions Versiti for significant growth in this industry. All these services together provide researchers, developers and manufacturers solutions that span discovery through commercialization.
Versiti, and its controlled affiliates, have been a part of AABB for decades. We have relied on each other’s expertise and collaboration in overcoming challenges and advancing the field of transfusion medicine. As the next frontier of transfusion medicine solutions, biotherapies present challenges in sourcing, manufacturing, patient access, payment models and regulatory environments. AABB can play a pivotal role in helping drive understanding of what transfusion medicine organizations can offer, while helping standardize outputs and drive collaborations with regulatory bodies.
AABB can also help provide educational resources and training for traditional blood bankers to help meet the demand for new skill sets to support this industry, such as cell product manipulations, cryopreservation and characterization assays like flow cytometry.
Most of the biotherapies developments are autologous therapies targeted to CD19. Allogeneic therapies seem to provide many answers to challenges in the field, particularly in access and cost. Some early phase trial wins in the allogeneic space and the expansion to new targets hold the potential to rapidly advance the field. Increased collaboration across modalities may also help propel the field.
Someday my children will have treatment options for diseases that are incurable today. That is what gets me out of bed in the morning. Versiti has provided blood products to extend time for patients for decades. We are now providing products that are being turned into actual cures for disease. We are really on the forefront of what biotherapies can offer. It is a dynamic field with unexpected challenges. However, the excitement of blazing new trails, knowing what you are doing is changing the treatment landscape of some of the most challenging diseases exceeds the speed bumps along the way.
Register your interest in biotherapies sponsorship and connection packages at the 2025 Annual Meeting, taking place October 25-28, in San Diego, CA.
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