OFD Taps New PM Director to Master Surging Lyophilization Demand

ALBANY, Ore. – February 17, 2026 – In a strategic move to harness the accelerating demand for advanced freeze-drying services, OFD Life Sciences has appointed Danielle Grosso as its new Senior Director of Project Management. The division of Oregon Freeze Dry is reinforcing its operational backbone as the biopharmaceutical and life sciences industries increasingly turn to lyophilization to ensure the stability and efficacy of sensitive drugs and biologics.

Grosso will spearhead enterprise-wide project management, a critical role as the company scales to meet the needs of its partners in biopharma, consumer health, and animal health. Her appointment is the latest in a series of key leadership additions designed to fortify the company’s expertise and operational capacity in a rapidly expanding market.

The Architect of Operational Excellence

Danielle Grosso joins OFD with over 15 years of deep-seated experience in the pharmaceutical and Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) sectors. Her career, marked by leadership roles at major industry players like Catalent Pharma Solutions and Societal CDMO, has been focused on building robust project management offices (PMOs), instituting risk-driven portfolio governance, and championing customer-centric delivery models.

OFD CEO David Enloe highlighted the unique blend of skills Grosso brings to the team. "Danielle is a rare kind of leader who brings the discipline of a seasoned project management leader and the empathy of someone who deeply understands our customers' journey," Enloe stated. "I'm thrilled to have her join the team and help us continue to deliver the scientific depth and operational consistency that we're known for."

Her expertise is further underscored by a Six Sigma Black Belt certification, a credential synonymous with process optimization and continuous improvement. This background has been instrumental in her past successes, where she developed scalable processes that improved forecasting accuracy and drove on-time delivery for complex specialty programs. This skill set is directly applicable to the challenges of managing intricate lyophilization projects, which demand precision from development through commercialization.

"Creating project structures that provide customers with clarity, confidence, and momentum is my specialty," said Grosso. "With the OFD team, I'm blown away with the combination of technical expertise and genuine customer focus. I'm excited to be a part of that and play a role in enabling seamless execution along the way."

Riding the Wave of a Booming Market

OFD's strategic expansion is a direct response to powerful tailwinds in the global lyophilization market. Industry analysts project significant growth, with some estimates forecasting the market to expand from approximately $5.36 billion in 2025 to over $10.6 billion by 2033, reflecting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of nearly 9%.

The primary engine of this growth is the burgeoning pipeline of biologics—including monoclonal antibodies, vaccines, and cell and gene therapies. These complex molecules are often inherently unstable in liquid form, making them prone to degradation. Lyophilization, or freeze-drying, has become the gold standard for preserving these high-value products, extending their shelf life from mere days to several years and often eliminating the need for costly and complex cold-chain logistics.

With nearly half of all biologic drugs on the market today relying on lyophilization for stability, specialized CDMOs like OFD Life Sciences have become indispensable partners for pharmaceutical companies. By outsourcing these critical manufacturing steps, drug developers can reduce significant capital investment, accelerate timelines, and gain access to specialized expertise and high-capacity equipment that would be prohibitive to build in-house.

A Year of Strategic Fortification

Grosso's appointment is not an isolated event but the capstone on a year of deliberate team-building at OFD Life Sciences. The company has methodically assembled a powerhouse leadership team to guide its expansion. This initiative began with the appointment of David Enloe, a veteran CDMO executive from Societal CDMO and Lonza, as the division's CEO in late 2024.

Throughout 2025, the company made several other high-profile additions. Steven Brown joined as Vice President of Quality Assurance and Regulatory Affairs, bringing three decades of experience in quality systems. Ian Yates was appointed Director of Formulation and Process Development, leveraging 20 years of drug development expertise. The company also bolstered its commercial and scientific leadership, appointing a new Chief Scientific Officer, Chief People Officer, and two Vice Presidents of Business Development to drive growth and innovation.

This comprehensive talent acquisition strategy across quality, R&D, and project management signals OFD's commitment to building an integrated, end-to-end service platform capable of handling the increasing complexity and scale demanded by its clients.

Innovation Beyond the Freeze

Setting OFD Life Sciences apart in a competitive landscape is its foundation of over 60 years of freeze-drying experience inherited from its parent company, Oregon Freeze Dry, and its investment in proprietary technologies.

The company's LyoLock™ bulk lyophilization service is designed for preserving the form and function of sensitive Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) and other critical biotech components. This technology offers precise control to maintain structural integrity, which has proven particularly effective in enhancing the viability and shelf life of products like live bacterial strains used in probiotics.

Complementing this is the patent-pending LyoPastille®, a flexible delivery technology that creates fast-dissolving tablets. This format provides precise, consistent dosing in a convenient form that enhances absorption and bioavailability. It is especially valuable for patient populations that have difficulty swallowing traditional pills, such as pediatric and geriatric patients, and opens new avenues for innovation in consumer health supplements and biopharmaceutical drug delivery.

This combination of seasoned leadership, deep scientific expertise, and proprietary technology underpins the company's reputation for operational excellence. As one client, a VP of Product Development at a leading health and wellness company, noted, OFD's team is "very engaged," with a deep, cross-functional understanding of each project. This integrated approach, now strengthened by Grosso's leadership in project management, positions OFD Life Sciences to not only meet the current demand but also to shape the future of lyophilization services.