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      For Geoff Mackay, President and CEO of Organogenesis (Canton, Mass), the pharmaceutical business feels more and more like a second home. He has become increasingly familiar with the industry through various leadership positions during his 11 years with Novartis AG (Basel, Switzerland) and other international companies and he is proud of his role in fulfilling the promise of regenerative medicine.

     Geoff has been involved in regenerative medicine and wound care since 1996. “My initial focus areas were immunology and dermatology,” he says. “I was the head of Sales and Marketing for Novartis Biotech Europe, head of Global Sales of Novartis Transplantation and Immunology, and Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Novartis Tissue Engineering in the US. At Novartis, I learned a lot about the life science industry and management. Novartis was initially a partner with Organogenesis, and through this exposure in the 1990’s, I became fascinated with the potential of regenerative medicine.”

     Regenerative medicine is a revolutionary medical approach that utilizes the body’s innate ability to regenerate or heal in a healthy way. Regenerative medicine technologies now can deliver living, cell-based products to stimulate the body’s own natural healing process. Geoff is confident in Organogenesis’ ability to deliver this comprehensive therapy to patients. “We’ve mastered the scientific and business challenges of bringing a living therapy to patients,” he says. “A key milestone is that Organogenesis is the first company to receive FDA approval for an allogeneic living cell-based therapy — Apligraf®, our living cell-based product, which is indicated for venous leg and diabetic foot ulcers. At this point in time, the product is the leading regenerative medicine brand in the world with more than a quarter of a million patients successfully treated. Currently, the top US wound centers use Apligraf. It is being applied once every 2 minutes throughout the country.”

     After 20 years of intense research, regenerative medicine has come of age. Substantial growth and commercial success, in addition to overall excitement and worthwhile investment in the closely related area of stem cell research, are some of the factors that contribute to the invigoration of this field. “The entire preceding decade will be remembered as the period when living, cell-based regenerative products began to transform medicine,” Geoff says. “These products and this technology can enhance, prolong and, in many cases, save lives. The leading role that Organogenesis is playing in bringing this entire field into the mainstream is a source of pride for me and my fellow employees. We are the world’s first successful regenerative medicine company. We specialize in soft tissue regeneration and our focus is primarily in the areas of wound healing, oral soft tissue, regeneration, and biosurgery.”
     Apligraf is the culmination of two decades of cutting-edge research initiated by scientists at MIT and continued by a dedicated team within Organogenesis. In addition to the product’s success, there are the rewards of patient satisfaction. “Since joining Organogenesis, I’ve led the effort to make Apligraf available to more and more patients with nonhealing chronic wounds,” Geoff says. “I often get thank you cards mailed to me from grateful patients who have suffered from chronic wounds for years and were bounced around the healthcare system. They are happy and relieved to finally receive Apligraf at a well-run, multidisciplinary wound care center. Their wounds can heal within 8 to 12 weeks.