Education – VJRegenMed

Strategies to increase cell therapy manufacturing capabilities

Simon Ng — Mon, 28 Feb 2022 17:56:22 +0000

Shannon Eaker, PhD, Cytiva, Marlborough, MA, describes important considerations when aiming to expand the capabilities of cell therapy manufacturers, including the need to increase recruitment and training of highly skilled workers as well as retaining existing workers. Dr Eaker additionally highlights constraints in the supply chain, and factoring in the scalability of a product in its design. The advent of automation and digitization in the form of electronic batch records will also aim to address the aforementioned issues by streamlining the manufacturing process. This interview took place at Advanced Therapies Week 2022.

Addressing issues in conducting clinical trials for rare diseases

Simon Ng — Thu, 03 Feb 2022 12:25:09 +0000

Will Chou, MD, Aruvant, New York, NY, gives an overview of challenges associated with conducting clinical trials for rare and orphan diseases such as sickle cell disease (SCD) and hypophosphatasia. Due the nature of these diseases, finding an adequate number of patients can be a barrier and Dr Chou additionally highlights the need to collaborate with patients groups to educate and build rapport with them for successful clinical trial recruitment. This interview took place at Advanced Therapies Week 2022.

Addressing labor and educational gaps in the CGT industry

Simon Ng — Mon, 31 Jan 2022 17:59:01 +0000

Michael Lehmicke, Senior Director of Science & Industry Affairs, Alliance for Regenerative Medicine, Washington, D.C., comments on the skills shortage in the cell and gene therapy (GCT) industry. Whilst people working in different companies during their career can enhance the exchange of technology and expertise, it highlights the need for additional workers across different disciplines including manufacturing, engineering and regulatory affairs. This interview took place at Advanced Therapies Week 2022.

Increasing recruitment in the cell and gene therapy sector

Simon Ng — Fri, 28 Jan 2022 15:31:40 +0000

Sharon Brownlow, PhD, Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult, London, UK, comments on the growing skills gap in the cell and gene therapy (CGT) industry and strategies to alleviate the issue. The industry, particularly in the manufacturing sector, is currently going through a labor shortage and apprenticeships and tax incentives have encouraged school leavers and graduates to join the industry. National training centers have also been established to equip workers with the necessary skills. Dr Brownlow additionally highlights the use of technologies such as virtual and augmented reality, which have already been used in the development of the COVID-19 vaccine, as well as outreach programs in schools and academia. This interview took place at Advanced Therapies Week 2022.

Educating and training clinicians on advanced therapies

Simon Ng — Fri, 28 Jan 2022 12:04:05 +0000

Sharon Brownlow, PhD, Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult, London, UK, discusses the need for healthcare professionals to be sufficiently trained and educated on cell and gene therapies for their adoption into the healthcare system. Collaboration between the NHS, manufacturers, and supply chain companies in dedicated treatment centers has enabled clinicians to successfully deliver these therapies and universities have additionally developed training courses for healthcare professionals to gain the necessary skills. This interview took place at Advanced Therapies Week 2022.

The GROW Internship Program: Improving the representation of Black employees within the CGT field

Simon Ng — Thu, 27 Jan 2022 18:16:18 +0000

Janet Lynch Lambert, CEO, Alliance for Regenerative Medicine, Washington, D.C., talks on the goals and current status of ARM’s GROW Internship Program which aims to address the underrepresentation of Black employees within the cell and gene therapy (CGT) sector. This internship program provides paid summer internships to Black undergraduate and postgraduate students in some of their member organizations. Whilst many of these internships are in STEM, there are also opportunities in patient advocacy, operations and supply management. 17 students have so far been matched and three have been hired full-time by their internship employer. This number will hopefully increase over the years to build a community of GROW interns. This interview took place at Advanced Therapies Week 2022.