ExcellGene Group has appointed Luca Valeggia as Chief Executive Officer. The leadership transition comes as the Monthey-based biotechnology group continues to develop its capabilities in cell-line engineering, bioprocess development and recombinant protein production.
Luca Valeggia has been appointed CEO of ExcellGene Group.
He brings experience across Life Sciences, diagnostics and laboratory automation, with a professional background combining business leadership, product development and the management of technologies for research and industrial laboratories.
The appointment follows a period of structural development for ExcellGene. In 2025, healthcare investment firm ARCHIMED acquired a majority stake in ExcellGene and its sister company Magellan Biologics & Consulting. The partnership was established to support the group’s international development and expand its work in biosimilars, recombinant proteins, cell-culture technologies and transfection solutions.
Building on more than two decades of bioprocess expertise
Founded in 2001 by Dr Maria João Wurm and Professor Florian Wurm, ExcellGene emerged from research conducted at EPFL. The company has since developed specialised expertise in mammalian cell protein expression and bioprocess development.
Its research and manufacturing activities are based in Monthey. ExcellGene works with CHO and HEK293 cell systems to support the development of biologics, including antibodies, recombinant proteins, enzymes, vaccine antigens and other complex molecules.
Its capabilities cover several stages of the development pathway, from protein vector design and cell-line development to process optimisation, analytical development and manufacturing preparation. This combination of scientific knowledge and process experience allows biological candidates to be assessed with their future production requirements in mind.
A leadership transition within an expanding group
Luca Valeggia succeeds a leadership model closely associated with ExcellGene’s founders and scientific origins. His appointment places an experienced Life Sciences executive at the head of the group as it develops its commercial, technological and international activities.
The scientific foundation established by Maria and Florian Wurm remains central to the company’s identity. Over more than two decades, ExcellGene has built technologies and services around the expression of difficult-to-produce proteins, the development of high-yield cell lines and the transfer of biological processes toward manufacturing.
The creation of ExcellGene Group, together with the involvement of ARCHIMED, provides a broader structure for developing these capabilities. The group brings together expertise in gene transfer, cell-line development, cell-culture media, transfection and bioprocessing.
Scientific leadership anchored in Monthey
The appointment also highlights the depth of specialised Life Sciences activity present in Monthey.
Companies such as ExcellGene connect scientific research with the practical requirements of biopharmaceutical development and production. Their work depends on experienced teams in cell biology, process science, analytics, engineering and manufacturing.
Maintaining and developing these competencies locally strengthens the link between innovation and industrial execution in Valais. It also contributes to an environment where biological technologies can progress from early development toward robust, scalable production processes.
Read the official announcement from ExcellGene.
