Alira Health’s Expertise in Biologics CDMO
Your Strategic Partner for Growth
At Alira Health, we help contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) stakeholders, biopharma sponsors, and investors make the most of market opportunities while navigating hurdles. As your partner, we turn challenges into scalable, de-risked outcomes. From strategy and CDMO selection to commercial due diligence and execution, we guide decisions that accelerate growth and reduce risk.
Discover how we help stakeholders navigate the biologics CDMO market with confidence.
We work across the full spectrum of biologics modalities, including:
- Recombinant molecules (mAbs, fragments, enzymes, hormones, clotting factors, fusion proteins)
- Cell therapies
- Gene therapies
- Vaccines
We can support you at every step of the value chain—upstream, drug substance, and drug product—and at every scale, from R&D to commercial manufacturing.
Meet the Alira Health CDMO Biologics Center of Excellence
Filippo Pendin
Partner, Transaction Advisory Services
Filippo Pendin joined Alira Health after previous experiences in private equity and corporate finance. Filippo gained his knowledge of strategy, finance, and consulting while working for a private equity fund in Lisbon, Portugal covering buy-side mandates as a fund analyst, analyzing companies’ operations and related key metrics of comparison. In Alira Health, he focuses on M&A and strategic assignments and further honing his analytical capabilities through their application to the pharmaceutical and medical device industries.
Filippo has studied, worked, and lived in Italy, the UK, Canada, Portugal, and Spain. Filippo graduated from Catolica Lisbon School of Business and Economics in Lisbon, Portugal.
Sean Forestell
Senior Vice President, CMC Operations
Sean Forestell, Ph.D. is an expert in biologics process development and manufacturing with over 30 years of experience in the biotech industry. Dr. Forestell has had senior leadership roles in several companies including BioMarin, Genentech and Novartis. At BioMarin, he was the Senior Director of MSAT responsible for technical process support of 5 commercial and 4 clinical products across 4 manufacturing facilities. He has developed processes and been involved in the successful tech transfer of 12 early-stage clinical products, 4 successful PPQs that led to licensure, and has supported the manufacture of 8 different commercial products.
His broad experience includes products that range from viral vectors used in cell and gene therapy, monoclonal antibodies, and enzymes to treat ultra rare diseases that are produced using continuous manufacturing technologies. Dr. Forestell was educated at the University of Guelph, earning a BSc in Biological Engineering and a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Calgary. He has co-authored 19 articles in peer-reviewed journals and is an inventor on two issued patents.
Alexandra Essler
Managing Partner, Transaction Advisory Services
Alexandra Essler is a Managing Partner in Alira Health’s Transaction Advisory group leading the European Transaction Advisory business. Alexandra is also the Managing Director of Alira Health’s German entity.
She has 13 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, including her position as a Manager at Staatz Business Development & Strategy, a boutique transaction advisory firm, working on sell- and buy-side M&A and licensing projects. She was also previously Head of Immunology and Critical Care Business Development at Biotest AG. Her expertise includes strategy, sell- and buy-side M&A, deal structuring, negotiations, and strategic transaction advisory projects with a closed deals in sum above €1.3B.
Alexandra holds degrees in International Business from the University of Maastricht, Netherlands, and Molecular Biotechnology from the Technical University of Munich, Germany.
Access Our Latest Thought Leadership
Report
This report offers detailed market analysis and thought leadership insights on how to address strategic questions, arming pharmaceutical companies, device manufacturers, CDMOs, and investors with actionable intelligence to stay competitive in this dynamic and fast-growing sector.
Report
Discover the latest biologics CDMO market insights on manufacturing, investment, and M&A trends shaping the industry.
Report
This report provides an assessment of trends in the global biosimilar market, with an emphasis on market and competitive dynamics in the US and Europe. The report offers a consistent, year-over-year view of global biosimilar activity—from product launches to market access trends—showing how the biosimilars landscape continues to evolve worldwide.