Tunnell Consulting Expands Biotechnology Expertise


Dr. Siddharth Advant Appointed Head of West Coast Office

KING OF PRUSSIA, PA, MARCH 4, 2008 - Continuing its leadership as an advisor to the life sciences industries, Tunnell Consulting announced that it has appointed Siddharth Advant, Ph.D., as head of its West Coast office, located in San Diego, California. Dr. Advant brings more than a decade of process development, technology transfer, manufacturing, regulatory and business experience to Tunnell's West Coast operations, which was established in 2006 to service the unique needs of the area's fast growing biotech industry.

"Sid Advant's tremendous experience in biotechnology and biologics is a perfect fit for the type of services we offer to leading companies," said Conrad Heilman, Ph.D., Tunnell's Senior Vice President and Life Sciences Strategy Leader. "Having participated in the development of more than two dozen therapeutic proteins, Dr. Advant's knowledge of the intricacies, challenges and opportunities in commercializing multiple protein expression systems will help deliver extraordinary results for our clients."

Recognized as one of Inc. Magazine's fastest growing privately held companies in 2007, the King of Prussia-based company has a significant history of assisting leading life science companies in the United States and Europe. Tunnell provides companies with technical and developmental services to optimize manufacturing, compliance, risk mitigation, cost reduction and regulatory strategies. The San Diego staff works with Tunnell's King of Prussia, Washington, D.C., and San Juan offices to service clients' operations across multiple product lines and locations.

"I'm delighted to join an accomplished firm such as Tunnell, which has built a team of highly experienced senior executives whose collective expertise and success in biotech processes offers an unparalleled resource for companies of all sizes across the U.S., as well as internationally," said Dr. Advant. "I look forward to working in the West Coast biotech hub and contributing to the culture of innovation and discovery by building alliances with researchers and exploring opportunities with business leaders."

In 2007, the West Coast Office hosted a series of events designed to create an advanced learning community to benefit the state's life sciences industry. These seminars featured thought leaders and senior executives from several of the region's premier biotech firms, who provided perspective about the latest developments, challenges, and solutions in drug development and quality control, as well as the adoption of advanced production techniques.

About Siddharth
Advant Prior to joining Tunnell, Siddharth Advant, Ph.D. was a Director for Diosynth Biotechnology, heading three primary areas: Project Management & Business Alliances, Technology Transfer & Clinical Operations, and Pharmaceutical Sciences & Stability. In these positions, Dr. Advant was responsible for technical and financial execution of customer projects, development and implementation of technology transfer programs, as well as building and managing an analytical, formulation and cGMP testing laboratory. He worked as a scientist in the pharmaceutical development division at Protein Design Labs, Inc. and as a Program Manager for BioReliance, Inc. where he supervised a cGMP/GLP compliant formulation development business.

Dr. Advant earned a B.S. degree in pharmacy from the University of Poona, India and a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutics from the University of Connecticut School of Pharmacy. He is a Founding Member of the CMC Strategy Forum Advisory Committee, which consists of FDA and Industry members, and served as Chair for the 2008 WCBP Meeting, 2004 AAPS National Biotechnology Conference in Boston and the 2002 AAPS Biotechnology Section. The author of various peer-reviewed articles, Dr. Advant has also made a number of scientific presentations at major industry conferences.

About Tunnell Consulting

King of Prussia, PA-based Tunnell Consulting integrates strategic, technical, process and organizational skills to boost its clients" business performance. Founded in 1962, Tunnell focuses on the life sciences industry and government agencies, designing and implementing sustainable solutions that improve operating performance. The firm draws on the expertise of its accomplished multi-disciplinary professionals with experience in industry, government and research. Working with many of the world's leading companies and the public sector, Tunnell implements value-added, cost-effective solutions that fit the unique needs of each client they serve. More information may be found at www.tunnellconsulting.com.

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