Meeting on the Med 2021 – VJRegenMed

Building the advanced therapies workforce in the UK

admin_vjr_user — Wed, 14 Jul 2021 11:09:11 +0000

Matthew Durdy, Chief Executive, Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult, London, UK, highlights the importance of building the advanced therapies workforce to support the development and manufacture of therapies as the field continues to grow. He describes some of the approaches being undertaken by the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult in the UK to enhance training and provide opportunities within the development, manufacturing and adoption phases of advanced therapeutics, such as the Advanced Therapy Skills Training Network, Advanced Therapy Treatment Centers and a range of apprenticeship programs. This interview took place during the Cell & Gene Meeting on the Mediterranean 2021 virtual conference.

The state of investment in cell & gene therapy

admin_vjr_user — Wed, 14 Jul 2021 11:09:10 +0000

Matthew Durdy, Chief Executive, Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult, London, UK, describes the current state of investment in cell and gene therapy sector and outlines key takeaways from a recent panel discussion on this topic at the Cell & Gene Meeting on the Mediterranean 2021 conference. In the panel, it was highlighted that valuation approaches may have been impacted due to the COVID-19 pandemic due to the recognition of the importance of the healthcare industry within national infrastructures, as well as an increase in investment in manufacturing infrastructure. This interview took place during the Cell & Gene Meeting on the Mediterranean 2021 virtual conference.

Improving patient access to advanced therapies: are we ready for them?

admin_vjr_user — Mon, 05 Jul 2021 13:47:09 +0000

Durhane Wong-Rieger, PhD, Rare Disease International, Toronto, ON, calls for the field of cell and gene therapies and healthcare systems to work towards improving patient access to therapies. The costs associated with novel therapies and the lack of established payment systems, as well as a lack of adequate infrastructure for the delivery of therapies, remain key obstacles for many patients, which will only be exacerbated as therapies for more common indications such as cardiovascular disease become approved in the future. This interview took place during the Cell & Gene Meeting on the Mediterranean 2021 virtual conference.

ATA188 in EBV+ progressive multiple sclerosis

admin_vjr_user — Mon, 05 Jul 2021 13:47:08 +0000

Latent Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection in B cells is associated with an increased risk of the development of multiple sclerosis (MS), so it is believed that addressing the EBV infection in MS patients could lead to significant improvement in their symptoms. Pascal Touchon, President & CEO, Atara Biotherapeutics, San Francisco, CA, describes the ongoing Phase I/II EMBOLD trial (NCT03283826) assessing the safety and efficacy of ATA188, an allogeneic EBV T-cell product that targets EBV-infected B-cells in patients with progressive MS. It is hoped that ATA188 could become the first approved treatment that reverses disability in progressive MS. This interview took place during the Cell & Gene Meeting on the Mediterranean 2021 virtual conference.

International collaboration in advanced therapies

admin_vjr_user — Mon, 05 Jul 2021 13:47:08 +0000

Amy DuRoss, Co-Founder & CEO, Vineti, San Francisco, CA, explains that the scientific community’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the importance of international collaboration and harmonization, and highlights this as a key learning opportunity for the field of advanced therapies. Exciting technological advances and the emergence of organizations that support the industry and offer the ability to connect all stakeholders, including manufacturers, academics and patients, are expected to help to drive standardization and industrialization within the field, and ultimately, improve patient access to novel therapies in the future. This interview took place during the Cell & Gene Meeting on the Mediterranean 2021 virtual conference.

Supply chain management & automation

admin_vjr_user — Mon, 05 Jul 2021 13:47:08 +0000

Amy DuRoss, Co-Founder & CEO, Vineti, San Francisco, CA, describes the Personalized Therapy Management (PTM) platform, enterprise software that aims to address supply chain challenges and support the manufacturing and commercialization of cell and gene therapies. PTM aims to help manufacturers efficiently coordinate and automate chain of custody and chain of identity, ensuring personalized cell and gene therapies reach the right patients at the right time. This interview took place during the Cell & Gene Meeting on the Mediterranean 2021 virtual conference.

What can the field learn from the COVID-19 pandemic?

admin_vjr_user — Mon, 05 Jul 2021 13:47:08 +0000

Amy DuRoss, Co-Founder & CEO, Vineti, San Francisco, CA, discusses the lessons that the field of cell and gene therapy can learn from the COVID-19 pandemic. The accelerated development and approval of vaccines for COVID-19 has demonstrated the positive impact of cross collaboration within the industry. The use of mRNA technology in vaccine development has also enhanced understanding and infrastructure, and these advances could be leveraged in the field of cell and gene therapy such as through the use of mRNA-based boosters for CAR T-cell therapies. This interview took place during the Cell & Gene Meeting on the Mediterranean 2021 virtual conference.

The importance of specialty medical centers in delivering ATMPs

admin_vjr_user — Mon, 05 Jul 2021 13:47:07 +0000

Paige Bischoff, Senior VP of Global Public Affairs, Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (ARM), Washington, D.C., discusses the important role of large specialty medical centers in the delivery of advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs) to patients with rare diseases. The need for patients to travel across borders between countries to these specialist centers highlights the importance of regulatory harmonization in improving patient access to therapies. This interview took place during the Cell & Gene Meeting on the Mediterranean 2021 virtual conference.

Shaping the future of CMC in cell & gene therapy

admin_vjr_user — Mon, 05 Jul 2021 13:47:06 +0000

Stephen Ward, PhD, Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult, London, UK, provides an overview of the current Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls (CMC) landscape in the cell and gene therapy industry and outcomes from a panel discussion on CMC at Cell & Gene Meeting on the Mediterranean 2021. He describes some of the important considerations and recommendations for developers that were discussed, including early investment in CMC, a focus on product characterization at an early stage and the utilization of platforms and technologies to build a pathway toward scalability. This interview took place during the Cell & Gene Meeting on the Mediterranean 2021 virtual conference.

Advancing the sector: training, scalability & materials standardization

admin_vjr_user — Mon, 05 Jul 2021 13:47:05 +0000

Stephen Ward, PhD, Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult, London, UK, discusses some of the key remaining barriers to the commercialization of cell and gene therapies. He describes a current skills shortage within the field and introduces the recently launched Advanced Therapies Skills Training Network (ATSTN), which aims to provide apprenticeship and cross skilling opportunities to help build the UK’s cell and gene therapy workforce. Dr Ward also highlights the importance of focusing on clinical interfacing and scalability, as well as supply chain solutions and the standardization of materials used to develop therapies. This interview took place during the Cell & Gene Meeting on the Mediterranean 2021 virtual conference.