Kindeva, a global contract development and manufacturing organisation (CDMO) specialising in complex drug and combination product delivery, has announced the appointment of Daniel Couto as executive vice president, Inhalation & Specialty Drug Delivery.
Joining Kindeva’s executive leadership team, Couto will have executive responsibility for the strategy, growth and performance of Kindeva’s global Inhalation & Specialty business, which brings together the company’s capabilities across inhalation, nasal, dermal and transdermal drug delivery.
Couto brings more than 30 years of biopharmaceutical experience spanning drug development, GMP manufacturing, operations and organisational leadership. He has held senior positions at ContraFect, Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD) and Avecia Biologics, and most recently served as chief operating officer of Vedanta Biosciences.
At Vedanta, Couto led a broad cross-functional organisation supporting the development, manufacturing and scale-up of an innovative therapeutic pipeline. During his tenure, the company advanced multiple programs through early and late-stage clinical development and completed five investigational new drug (IND) filings.
Couto joins Kindeva at a time of significant change in the inhalation market, as pharmaceutical companies transition established metered-dose inhaler (MDI) products to next-generation, lower-carbon propellants while continuing to develop new respiratory therapies. He will oversee Kindeva's Inhalation & Specialty business as the company continues to invest in its development and manufacturing capabilities to support these changing requirements.
David Stevens, chief executive officer of Kindeva, said: “Daniel is joining Kindeva at an important point in the growth and development of our Inhalation & Specialty business. We have a strong heritage in drug delivery, differentiated technologies and long-standing customer relationships, with a significant opportunity to build on those foundations.
Daniel brings a rare combination of experience. He understands firsthand the challenges product innovators face in taking complex medicines from development through scale-up and commercialisation, while also bringing deep experience in GMP manufacturing, operational leadership and building high-performing organisations.
His mandate is clear: strengthen our customer partnerships, drive execution and operational performance, and accelerate sustainable growth. I am delighted to welcome Daniel to Kindeva and our executive leadership team.”
Daniel Couto, executive vice president, Inhalation & Specialty, said: “Kindeva has an exceptional heritage in drug delivery and a combination of scientific, engineering and manufacturing capabilities that can make a real difference for pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies developing complex products. These attributes represent a real competitive advantage for the industry, and I am excited to join the company at a time when both the inhalation market and the broader drug delivery landscape are evolving rapidly.
I look forward to working with the Kindeva team and our customers to build on these capabilities, strengthen execution and bring more innovative medicines to patients.”
Kindeva’s Inhalation & Specialty business includes established MDI development and manufacturing capabilities in the UK and United States, and advanced nasal drug delivery, dermal, and transdermal capabilities in the United States.
Together, these capabilities enable Kindeva to support pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies across the product lifecycle.
