Biotech Company Adds to Leadership Team

Indianapolis-based Assembly Biosciences Inc. has added several senior-level leaders, including chief scientific officer. The company says the new hires will focus on advancing its expanding microbiome platform. Miguel Barbosa will now serve as CSO of the Microbiome Program. He previously served as global head and vice president of immunology research and external innovation at New Jersey-based Janssen Research & Development, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson. The firm also hired: George Grandolfi, vice president of drug product and formulation; Steven Cockrill, senior director of analytical development and quality control; Christopher Hartnett, senior director of process development; Viktoria Gontcharova, principal scientist of bioinformatics and Christopher Howerton, senior director of strategy. Assembly says its goal is to develop oral therapeutics for disorders related to the human microbiome and the treatment of the Hepatitis B virus.