Advanced Therapies 2021 – VJRegenMed

Addressing remaining barriers to the commercialization of ATMPs

admin_vjr_user — Mon, 08 Nov 2021 18:22:11 +0000

Matthew Durdy, CEO, Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult, London, UK, discusses some of the key remaining barriers to the commercialization of cell and gene therapies. He highlights challenges with patient access to therapies and the way they’re delivered, as well as the importance of enhancing communication with payers in the early stages of product development in order to tackle reimbursement issues. He also notes that increasing manufacturing scale of advanced therapies would lower the cost of goods and facilitate patient access and discusses ongoing work in the UK to better educate academic researchers about the pathway to commercialization. This interview took place at the Advanced Therapies Congress & Expo 2021.

The evolving landscape of autologous and allogeneic therapies

admin_vjr_user — Mon, 08 Nov 2021 18:22:10 +0000

Matthew Durdy, CEO, Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult, London, UK, talks on the evolving landscapes of autologous and allogeneic therapies. Autologous therapies are highly personalized and are able to overcome problems associated with immunogenicity, thus offering the potential for highly effective therapeutics. There is a, however, a growing interest in the development of allogeneic approaches that can be manufactured at a larger scale, although challenges around immunotolerance still need to be addressed. This interview took place at the Advanced Therapies Congress & Expo 2021.

Moving forward in the CGT field using lessons from the pandemic

Simon Ng — Mon, 08 Nov 2021 18:22:08 +0000

Manuel Carrondo, PhD, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica (iBET), Oeiras, Portugal, explains how lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic could positively impact the cell and gene therapy (CGT) space. Importantly, he expects the evidence and understanding obtained from the large-scale use of mRNA- and adenoviral-based vaccines and adenoviruses during the pandemic, which had previously been tested in only a small number of people, will undoubtedly lead to further research and development of these types of therapies. Furthermore, the increased collaboration between companies, researchers and regulators that took place during this period could accelerate CGT product development in the future. This interview took place at the Advanced Therapies Congress & Expo 2021.

The ISCT’s ongoing battle against unproven cell & gene therapies

admin_vjr_user — Mon, 08 Nov 2021 18:22:07 +0000

Miguel Forte, MD, PhD, Bone Therapeutics SA, Gosselies, Belgium, discusses the efforts being made by the International Society for Cell & Gene Therapy (ISCT) to tackle the use of unproven cell- and gene-based therapies. He discusses the ISCT’s alignment with regulators such as the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and their actions against developers treating patients with unvalidated products that are marketed with unsubstantiated claims. He also highlights the importance of the growing role the cell and gene therapy industry in the translation of products to patients. This interview took place at the Advanced Therapies Congress & Expo 2021.

Immunogenicity of AAV-based gene therapies

Simon Ng — Mon, 08 Nov 2021 18:22:05 +0000

Whilst adeno-associated viral (AAV) vectors show great promise as effective gene transfer platforms, they have been demonstrated to trigger both innate and adaptive immune responses. Paul Gissen, MD, PhD, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK, describes the challenge of immune-related adverse events caused by AAV vector-based gene therapy and strategies being investigated to address this. Today, most clinical trials involving AAV vector-based gene therapy screen patients to detect the presence of antibodies against viral vectors as part of the patient enrolment process. Dr Gissen also discusses issues around cytotoxicity and the ongoing development of immunomodulatory regimens currently being developed. This interview took place at the Advanced Therapies Congress & Expo 2021.

Enhancing communication in the advanced therapies sector

admin_vjr_user — Mon, 08 Nov 2021 11:54:35 +0000

Neil Hunter, Image Box Ltd., Surrey, UK, shares an overview of Image Box’s ongoing work in driving the communication of data, conclusions and expert opinion from scientific conferences in the advanced therapies to key stakeholders in the wider field, including regulators, investors, analysts and industry leaders. By enhancing the dissemination of information and consensus across the sector, Neil hopes that this will help to accelerate advanced therapy development and their delivery to patients. This interview took place at the Advanced Therapies Congress & Expo 2021.

The evolving landscape of scientific communication in advanced therapies

admin_vjr_user — Mon, 08 Nov 2021 11:54:33 +0000

Neil Hunter, Image Box Ltd., Surrey, UK, comments on the evolution of scientific communication platforms and formats and how this is being leveraged in the life science sector. He explains that the move toward increasingly digital formats has enhanced the accessibility of scientific information for a wider international audience and enables experts and key opinion leaders to communicate their research and perspectives to stakeholders in a more personal manner. He also discusses the increasing use of social media platforms to communicate advances and connect the life sciences and specifically, regenerative medicine sector and anticipates that the formats and modes of communication will continue to evolve in the future to reach an even wider audience. This interview took place at the Advanced Therapies Congress & Expo 2021.

Rekindling communication in the sector following the pandemic

admin_vjr_user — Mon, 08 Nov 2021 11:54:30 +0000

Neil Hunter, Image Box Ltd., Surrey, UK, considers the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on scientific communication within the life science sector, which has received an increased level of investment in this time. He discusses the challenges surrounding communication, networking and collaboration through online events during the pandemic and looks forward to the wider return of in-person events, which he anticipates will be highly attended in the coming years in order to re-establish streams of communication across the sector. This interview took place at the Advanced Therapies Congress & Expo 2021.

Collaboration in the cell & gene therapy industry

admin_vjr_user — Mon, 08 Nov 2021 11:54:28 +0000

Neil Hunter, Image Box Ltd., Surrey, UK, describes the growing importance of building collaborations and partnerships across the cell and gene therapy industry to accelerate the development, manufacture and delivery of advanced therapies. He describes different collaborative approaches seen across the sector and looks forward to seeing how the results of these approaches and how they impact the field in the coming years. This interview took place at the Advanced Therapies Congress & Expo 2021.

Novel technologies for the digitization of the advanced therapy supply chain

admin_vjr_user — Sat, 06 Nov 2021 09:39:19 +0000

Kwok Pang, COO, Autolomous, London, UK, describes a range of digital supply chain technologies being developed by Autolomous that aim to help advanced therapy manufacturers to scale their operations. For example, AutoloMATE Assist supports the batch verification and review process for advanced therapies to drive efficiency and accelerate the release of manufactured products to patients. In addition, AutoloMATE Clock aims to utilize technologies such as geofencing to help digitise the many aspects of manufacturing scheduling, including manufacturing operator resource management, equipment validation and clean room availability. This interview took place at the Advanced Therapies Congress & Expo 2021.