Eddie Gray brings decades of leadership in vaccines and biopharma to support Botanical Solution Inc.’s scale-up of sustainable QS-21 adjuvant production

Botanical Solution Inc. (BSI) has appointed Eddie Gray, a long-standing pharmaceutical and vaccine industry executive, to its Board of Directors.

Gray is the former president of GlaxoSmithKline Europe, former CEO of Dynavax Technologies, and previously served as chair of the UK Government’s Covid-19 Antivirals Taskforce. He holds a BSc in Chemistry and Management Studies from the University of London and an MBA from Cranfield School of Management.

BSI is the developer of a proprietary platform to produce QS-21 — an adjuvant used in multiple FDA-approved vaccines — via a sustainable, tissue culture–based method. QS-21 is traditionally sourced from Quillaja saponaria, a tree native to Chile, but limited supply and environmental protections have driven prices to over $400,000 per gram.

The company’s in vitro production technique enables high-purity, scalable manufacturing without harvesting trees, with the goal of expanding QS-21 access to more vaccines and populations, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.

“We are very excited to welcome Eddie Gray to the Board,” said BSI CEO Gaston Salinas. “His experience as a veteran pharma and vaccine industry leader will be invaluable in guiding BSI into the future and expanding the use of BSI’s truly sustainable QS-21 worldwide.”

Gray commented: “I am very proud to join the BSI Board. BSI’s approach to the production of QS-21 is totally sustainable and has tremendous potential for use in many more vaccines which will help millions of people around the world.”