Andrew M Thomson is a co-founder, Managing Partner, and Director of GreyRigge Associates 合同会社 (GK) in Kobe, Japan. He focuses on three critical strategic pillars: embedding Quality by Design (QbD) across assay and process development, scaling cell and gene therapies (CGT) from early phase to commercial manufacturing, and building GRA’s operational network across the Asia-Pacific region. Following a distinguished international career spanning the UK, Australia, Singapore, and Japan, Andrew bridges high-impact academic molecular biology with commercial biopharmaceutical manufacturing. He holds a BSc (Hons) in Plant Biology from St Andrews University and a PhD in Molecular Microbiology from Aberdeen University / The Rowett Institute.
Expertise: Primary Service Skillsets
CMC & Manufacturing Oversight
Andrew brings deep, practical technical leadership to the scale-up and commercial translation of advanced therapeutic modalities and biodefense assets. His approach ensures that manufacturing processes are scalable, compliant, and robust.
- Modality Mastery: Deep technical experience across cell and stem cell-based therapeutics, gene therapy platforms, developmental vaccines, and infectious disease diagnostics.
- QbD Implementation: Applying Quality by Design (QbD) architectures to assay development, bioprocessing, and commercial manufacturing lines to minimise operational risk.
- Biothreat & Vaccine Development: Held senior industry roles developing assay frameworks for emerging diseases, biothreats (in collaboration with the UK government), and novel vaccine platforms.
Assays & QC Validation
With an extensive research background in RNA regulatory mechanisms and microRNAs published in high-impact journals such as Nature, Cell, and Nucleic Acids Research, Andrew provides expert guidance on complex analytical characterisation.
- Assay Development & Qualification: Designing and validating high-sensitivity molecular, cellular, and microbiological assays for phase-appropriate release testing.
- Molecular & Cellular Biology: Leveraging extensive expertise in microbiology and RNA biology to solve complex analytical and comparability challenges.
CDMO & CRO Network Management
Andrew leverages his global career across the UK, Australia, Singapore, and Japan to direct outsourced technical operations and build strong international relationships.
- Asia-Pacific Expansion: Leading GRA’s Kobe entity to manage client collaborations and professional networks across Japan, Asia, and Australia.
- Vendor Oversight: Overseeing CDMO selection, technical transfers, and operational performance for complex process development and CGT manufacturing programmes.
Additional Technical Specialisms
To ensure comprehensive support across the full development lifecycle, Andrew also provides expert consultancy across these core GRA service areas:
- Process Development: Optimising upstream and downstream bioprocess workflows from early-stage translational research through to commercial-scale manufacturing.
- QA & Regulatory Support: Aligning bioprocess datasets, validation protocols, and assay release criteria with global compliance thresholds (FDA, EMA, MHRA, and PMDA).
- Clinical Project Management: Directing cross-functional technical teams across international jurisdictions to maintain program momentum and protect asset value.
If you would like to discuss your project with Andrew M Thomson or require specialist advice, please get in touch.
