Rocket Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced the appointment of Mayo Pujols as Chief Technical Officer (CTO) and Executive Vice President. Mr. Pujols brings nearly three decades of experience, from leadership roles across technical operations, quality operations, validation, process development and Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) manufacturing. He most recently served as Chief Executive Officer of Andelyn Biosciences, a leading gene therapy contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) and prior to Andelyn was the Head of Global Cell and Gene Technical Development and Manufacturing for Novartis Pharmaceuticals.

As Rocket's first CTO, Mr. Pujols will lead the technical operations function and chemistry, manufacturing and controls (CMC) for all lentiviral programs. Additionally, he will lead the Company's adeno-associated virus (AAV) manufacturing facility that has recently achieved cGMP readiness for a planned Phase 2 pivotal study in Danon Disease. Prior to joining Rocket, Mr. Pujols was Chief Executive Officer of Andelyn Biosciences, a CDMO affiliated with Nationwide Children's Hospital, where he led its expansion to a full-service gene therapy CDMO. Previously, he served as Head of Global Cell and Gene Technical Development and Manufacturing for Novartis Pharmaceuticals, where he was responsible for the global development and internal and external manufacturing for the cell and gene therapy franchise.

He also served as Vice President of global CAR-T operations and technology at Celgene, where he led global manufacturing and technical operations of CAR-T products and built the company's commercial manufacturing capabilities. Throughout his distinguished career, he has also held key roles at Merck, Advaxis, MedImmune and Schering-Plough. Mr. Pujols earned his bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology and his master's in chemical engineering and applied chemistry from Columbia University's The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science.