Taci Pereira, who led Systemic Bio, a subsidiary of U.S.-based 3D printer manufacturer 3D Systems, has announced her departure following the parent company’s decision to close the unit. Founded in 2022, Systemic Bio aimed to advance drug discovery through scalable bioprinted human tissue models. The closure reflects 3D Systems’ broader strategic realignment in response to challenging market conditions.
Advancing Human-Relevant Tissue Models for Drug Discovery
Backed by $15 million in internal investment, Systemic Bio focused on production-scale bioprinted tissue models. Under Pereira’s leadership, the company developed the h-VIOS platform (human vascularized integrated organ systems), launched a 15,000-square-foot R&D and manufacturing facility, and scaled production to 6,000 vascularized tissue constructs per month. The company also secured seven patent families and forged partnerships with pharmaceutical leaders.
Strategic and Market Challenges Drive Closure
Despite technical progress and industry collaborations, according to Pereira 3D Systems decided to discontinue Systemic Bio due to market headwinds and a renewed emphasis on short-term profitability. Pereira explained, “The problem we were solving is vast and investment-heavy. 3D Systems is now concentrating on near-term financial performance and can no longer sustain this level of commitment.”
Pereira expressed gratitude to her team and partners, reaffirming her ongoing dedication to improving drug development. “The vision for better, human-relevant drug development is clearer than ever,” she said, signaling plans to remain active in the field.
Industry-Wide Strategic Shifts in 3D Printing
The closure of Systemic Bio fits into a broader pattern of strategic realignments across the 3D printing industry as companies respond to evolving market pressures and financial challenges. Like 3D Systems, other players are reassessing their portfolios to focus on sustainable growth and core strengths.
Last month, Stratasys completed the acquisition of key assets from 3D printer manufacturer Nexa3D, including its intellectual property portfolio, a limited number of remaining machines, and spare parts. In an official statement, Stratasys emphasized that the acquisition would strengthen its ability to provide advanced manufacturing solutions tailored to customer production needs.
In January, Metal 3D printer manufacturer Velo3D announced it has completed the strategic review process it initiated in December 2023, which claims “position the company for sustainable growth starting in 2025.” These updates include a debt-for-equity exchange which saw Arrayed Notes Acquisition Corp. acquire 95% of Velo3D’s issued and outstanding common shares. Through the transaction, the Arrayed Additive subsidiary canceled approximately $22.4 million, or 81.7% in principal amount, of its outstanding senior secured notes and $369,000 of accrued interest in exchange for 185,151,333 newly issued shares of Velo3D’s common stock.
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Featured image shows The development of monoclonal antibodies. Photo via 3D Systems.
