Leading with Clarity and Perspective
Building for the Next Wave of Biologics and Advanced Therapies
How We Work and Where We're Heading
Dr. Alfred Merz joined ProBioGen in May 2024 as Chief Operating Officer (COO) and, eight months later, in January 2025, stepped into the role of Chief Executive Officer (CEO). With more than three decades of global experience in pharmaceutical manufacturing, operational excellence, and strategic leadership, including his most recent position as Senior Vice President and Head of Medical Device Operations at Bayer, Dr. Merz brings a rare combination of scientific depth, operational discipline, and people-centered leadership to ProBioGen’s next phase of growth.
As we start 2026, we look back at our year-end conversation with him to reflect on his journey at ProBioGen over the past year, the leadership principles that guide him, and his perspective on an evolving CDMO landscape. In this discussion, Dr. Merz shares how ProBioGen is strengthening its scientific and operational foundations, where he sees the greatest opportunities, and how the company is positioning itself for the future.
Throughout my career, several principles have guided my leadership, starting with clarity. Clarity of vision, direction, and expectations. When people understand where the company is heading and how their work contributes to that direction, they can act with more autonomy and make aligned decisions. Ambitious yet realistic goals and a strategy we can actually deliver on, starts from that foundation.
From there, my leadership style builds on participation and integration. I believe in involving people, encouraging them to weigh in, challenge, and co-shape the journey ahead. I strive to inspire others, to be a people-oriented leader, which means creating the conditions for teams to move forward and succeed: clear priorities, the right resources, transparent communication and support when needed. Finally, I stay close to the scientific and operational realities to better understand what teams are facing. That sharpens decision-making and helps resolve challenges quickly. Effective leadership does require vision, but also a real connection, bringing people together to work in ways that ultimately drive progress and deliver results.
You previously worked on the sponsor side with CDMOs, and now you are leading one. How has that experience shaped the way you now lead and serve clients?
Having been on the sponsor side, I know first-hand how critical a development or manufacturing project is for a client. Timelines, expectations, and budgets influence not only a program’s progress but often its viability. That perspective never leaves you.
It also shapes how I think about partnerships. A CDMO should be more than a service provider; it should be a reliable partner focused on results and solutions. High quality, timely delivery, and competitive cost are the essentials—they are the entry ticket, not the differentiator. What truly differentiates a CDMO is its level of commitment: staying fully engaged, adapting where needed, and focusing on what will move the program forward.
That experience strongly influences how I lead ProBioGen today: I expect us to show up for clients with that same level of ownership and commitment that I once looked for as a sponsor. From that foundation, every project and client is different. Some face intense time pressure; others require deeper scientific collaboration or more tailored support. There is no one-size-fits-all approach. Flexibility matters, but it must be balanced with structured, reliable delivery. Our goal is exactly that—smart flexibility—the kind that creates impact while maintaining efficiency and focusing on what truly matters.
The CDMO industry is evolving at remarkable speed, and clients expect more than capacity—they expect deep expertise, innovation, and a partner who is prepared for what comes next. At ProBioGen, we view this shift as an opportunity to continuously raise the bar on how we work, and how we deliver for our clients.
Operational excellence is an ongoing discipline for us. We re-evaluate and refine our processes continuously and invest in scientific and technological capabilities that help tailor molecules, increase productivity, and improve yields. These advances have direct impact on timelines, quality, and cost efficiency. As a technology provider, we develop proprietary solutions and high-performance platforms such as our existing GlymaxX®, DirectedLuck®, and Lenti.RiGHT®. These innovations are designed to deliver superior performance and process reliability, with benefits that extend well beyond cost per run.
We have invested significantly in our infrastructure: expanding our development and manufacturing capacities for proteins and viral vectors and preparing to offer services in new modalities such as advanced therapies through our upcoming ATMP manufacturing facility and our role at the Berlin Center for Gene and Cell Therapies. At the same time, we are sharpening our collaboration approach to give clients greater transparency on scope, responsibilities and value—reflecting the need for more flexible, partnership-oriented commercial models.
Digital technologies are another important lever in driving smarter, more efficient operations. By integrating smart digital tools—including dedicated pilot projects with specialized partners—we expand our biochemical toolbox, strengthen decision-making, and streamline workflows where it matters most.
Taken together, this combination of scientific depth, rigorous project execution, smart innovation, and a focus on specialized solutions, allows ProBioGen to be well positioned and help shape the next phase of the CDMO landscape.
Pharmaceutical proteins continue to grow in complexity, reinforcing the need for specialized expertise—an area where ProBioGen has a long tradition of excellence. We have successfully worked on highly complex formats, including multispecific and tetraspecific antibodies, where our platforms, technologies, and know-how proved decisive in competitive settings.
We also expect strong momentum in viral vectors and advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs). With more than 25 years of experience in viral vector development and a proprietary production cell lines, such as our avian AGE1.CR.pIX® designer cell line for vaccine viruses and our GMP-compliant HEK.RiGHT™ cell line, we are well positioned to support rising demand in this area with robust, scalable solutions.
ATMPs are an exciting and transformative frontier. As science advances, our GMP capabilities and scientific expertise will allow us not only to support clients with confidence and depth, but to provide integrated development and manufacturing solutions. This is an area we are entering deliberately, backed by knowledge, experience, and a clear vision of how we can add real value.
Our move into advanced therapies marks a natural evolution for ProBioGen. We have long been pioneers in the proteins and viral vector field, and the scientific landscape now creates opportunities to develop therapies for conditions once considered untreatable.
Entering the ATMP field is not only a strategic step—it is a purposeful one. It allows us to contribute to medicine in ways that directly impact patients' lives. Building on our long-standing experience in complex biologics, we are well positioned to provide integrated solutions for the next generation of therapeutic breakthroughs. This step strengthens our identity as a company that not only delivers for clients but helps advance the future of biomedicine. It is both inspiring and deeply aligned with our mission.
Winning the mandate to build and operate the GMP manufacturing facility at the Berlin Center for Cell and Gene Therapies was an important milestone for ProBioGen last year. It reflects the confidence placed in our scientific and operational expertise and positions us at the center of an emerging ecosystem dedicated to advanced therapies. This project is more than an expansion—it is a testament to ProBioGen’s readiness to help shape the future of cell and gene therapy development in Berlin, Germany and beyond.
We also welcomed several new clients across protein, antibody, and viral vector services and technologies and saw innovative therapies developed with some of our technologies reach patients. Each partnership, each client success reinforces our reputation as a trusted CDMO and demonstrates increasing recognition of our capabilities and culture.
Our culture begins with a simple principle: the client comes first. Their priorities become our priorities, and that mindset aligns the entire organization around a shared purpose. Alongside this, we foster creativity, openness, and curiosity. People should feel encouraged to raise ideas and challenge assumptions—reflecting who we are as a science-driven company.
We also strive for a culture of initiative and momentum. Rather than saying we are agile, we demonstrate it through proactive, specialist-driven solutions and a willingness to simplify where needed. Clients should feel that ProBioGen listens, adapts, and moves with intent. Above all, there is a shared sense of meaning in what we do. We are helping develop the therapies of tomorrow, and many colleagues joined ProBioGen because they believe in that vision, just as I do. It shapes how we work and who we strive to be.
Our protein and viral business will remain a significant part of our work, supported by expanded capabilities and advanced technologies. We will also be a strong partner in ATMP development, enabled by our GMP manufacturing expansion in Berlin—an evolution that positions ProBioGen to support the future of therapeutic innovation.
Our offering will continue to grow in an integrated way, providing end-to-end capabilities that support clinical development. And we aim to be recognized as a trusted commercial manufacturer, reflecting scientific depth and operational maturity. In the coming years, our focus will be on turning that ambition into measurable outcomes for our clients and their patients—building not only for today’s needs, but for what the future of medicine will require.
In 2026 we will transform more of our scientific platforms and solutions into tangible value for clients—advancing complex protein and viral vector programs, growing our ATMP manufacturing readiness, and driving progress at the Berlin Center for Cell and Gene Therapies. We look forward to further demonstrating, through the results we deliver together, how a focused, high-science CDMO partner can change what’s possible and make a measurable, visible difference for our clients and their patients.