The ultimate success of gene and cell therapy products relies on the seamless delivery of a potent drug product to patients. The pharmaceutical supply chain is inherently complex; however, gene therapies face additional roadblocks such as ever-changing regulatory compliance, chain of custody due to the personalized nature of autologous therapies, patient demand, and scalability from clinical to commercial. Moreover, the complexity of the delivery process is exacerbated by the temperature- and time-sensitive nature of immunotherapy products.
Today, March 21st, is ARM’s 7th Annual Cell & Gene Investor Day. The New York City-based one-day event provides institutional, strategic, and venture investors with unique insight into financing opportunities for cell and gene therapy-based treatment and tools.
Partnering with a CDMO that marries innovation with technical, regulatory, and manufacturing experience can be cell therapy and gene therapy companies’ best opportunity for scalability and yet their biggest hurdle. From process development through commercial supply and all the steps in between, cell and gene therapy companies expect CDMOs to meet an understandably high bar.
What a week. As you know, The Washington Post broke the news of Scott Gottlieb’s resignation as FDA Commissioner — the news, while not entirely unexpected, shot disappointment and concern through the entire healthcare industry. Nancy Bradish Myers, JD, president of Catalyst Healthcare Consulting penned an article for Cell & Gene that explains the silver lining of Gottlieb’s exit.
It was the announcement many have been dreading — but expecting — for several months now. Dr. Scott Gottlieb, 23rd Commissioner of the FDA, announced his decision to step down after 663 days (22 months) on the job. The news is sure to raise concerns for many, from investors to parents of teens tempted to vape. But I think the biggest surprise is how equally sad thought-leaders within the agency will be to say goodbye.
Gene therapy may be the next revolution in healthcare. The opportunity to cure diseases through the modification of the genome was once considered science fiction, but no longer. The United States has seen a few approvals in this area, including the approval of voretigene neparvovec for a rare form of blindness. In addition, CAR-T agents, two of which are available, have demonstrated alternative ways to treat disease by manipulating genes of different cells.
In November 2018, I wrote an article about establishing a supply chain for autologous cell therapies — those formulated using a patient’s own cells. This partner piece highlights considerations that need to be taken into account when developing a commercialization and supply chain strategy for allogeneic cell therapies.
Oncolytic viruses constitute a new promising therapeutic approach for treatment of cancer. Here’s an example of a scalable, end-to-end process for oncolytic adenovirus production using modern tools and technologies.
In Part 2 of my conversation with Ryan Bartock, Head of Supply Chain and Network Strategy at Spark Therapeutics, he addresses the unique demands of a gene therapy supply chain.
Pharmaceutical companies have three targeted users: physicians, pharmacists, and patients. Various digital platforms are used to create a good customer experience for educating these end users. The core focus is on patients driving patient care, education, and adherence.
Parenteral Drug Association (PDA) recently released Technical Report No. 81, “Cell-Based Therapy Control Strategy,” written by PDA’s Cell and Gene Therapy Task Force. Michael Blackton, Global Head of Quality at adaptimmune and PDA’s Co-Chair of the Cell and Gene Therapy Interest Group co-authored the report. Blackton’s also a member of the Biopharmaceutical Advisory Board and International Board of Directors. Here, he breaks down Technical Report No. 81 and explains the report’s biggest takeaways.
I caught up with Ryan Bartock, Head of Supply Chain and Network Strategy at Spark Therapeutics, to talk through some of the gene therapy sector’s heftiest supply chain challenges. In Part 1 of a 2 part series, hear what advice he has for pharma, bio executives, and CMOs to successfully manage and even streamline the supply chain.
Autologous (patient-derived) therapies represent unique challenges to processing. One-patient, single-batch is a radical change from the scale our industry is accustomed to. At this level the filling is more analogous to limited Phase 1 clinical trial materials or even preclinical applications. The logistics and required compliance of manufacturing these personalized therapies is drastically different and presents a combinatorial explosive problem. One aspect of this process where traditional methods fall apart is filling of these therapies.
Today’s clinical trial partner is tomorrow’s post-approval patient. They are the experts who can shape a program over time, be a voice during the regulatory approval process, and provide insight on what other patients hope to find in a therapy.
The difficulty of balancing paying for innovation with budgets has plagued Europe for years, and the emergence of cell and gene therapies has only exacerbated that conundrum.
Two of the field’s most valuable luminaries representing both academia and industry — Dr. Bruce Levine and Simon Ellison, ISCT Commercialization Committee — discuss determining how CMOs can and should successfully manage cell and gene therapy supply chains.
Being a Greater Philadelphia Area resident affords me the opportunity to meet and collaborate with scientists, doctors, researchers, and other highly skilled professionals knee-deep in the cell and gene therapy sector. From the University of Pennsylvania to CHOP to Spark Therapeutics to Tmunity and many, many more, Philadelphia not only continues to shine as the geographical standout for innovation and continuous forward movement for cell and gene therapies but also as the smart economical choice for SMEs in the field.
Regenerative medicine could be a game-changing approach to meet the needs of insulin-dependent patients. Although the field is still in its infancy, the initial clinical data looks promising. This article takes a closer look at a few innovative companies that are racing to bring the first regenerative medicine for diabetes to the market.
The temperature-sensitivity of cell and gene therapies, their personalized nature, and their circular (“vein-to-vein”) supply chain make maintaining a seamless supply chain critical; however, it is not easily achieved.
One conversation with Michael Blackton, VP QA CMC at Adaptimmune, proves why he is known for being a passionate, results-oriented leader focused on QA, analytical development, and more. Validate for yourself as Blackton answers my questions about process development and quality management. And, he provides a fresh outlook on recruiting senior-level executives.
Partnering with a CDMO that marries innovation with technical, regulatory, and manufacturing experience can be cell therapy and gene therapy companies’ best opportunity for scalability and yet their biggest hurdle. From process development through commercial supply and all the steps in between, cell and gene therapy companies expect CDMOs to meet an understandably high bar.
What a week. As you know, The Washington Post broke the news of Scott Gottlieb’s resignation as FDA Commissioner — the news, while not entirely unexpected, shot disappointment and concern through the entire healthcare industry. Nancy Bradish Myers, JD, president of Catalyst Healthcare Consulting penned an article for Cell & Gene that explains the silver lining of Gottlieb’s exit.
In Part 2 of my conversation with Ryan Bartock, Head of Supply Chain and Network Strategy at Spark Therapeutics, he addresses the unique demands of a gene therapy supply chain.
Parenteral Drug Association (PDA) recently released Technical Report No. 81, “Cell-Based Therapy Control Strategy,” written by PDA’s Cell and Gene Therapy Task Force. Michael Blackton, Global Head of Quality at adaptimmune and PDA’s Co-Chair of the Cell and Gene Therapy Interest Group co-authored the report. Blackton’s also a member of the Biopharmaceutical Advisory Board and International Board of Directors. Here, he breaks down Technical Report No. 81 and explains the report’s biggest takeaways.
I caught up with Ryan Bartock, Head of Supply Chain and Network Strategy at Spark Therapeutics, to talk through some of the gene therapy sector’s heftiest supply chain challenges. In Part 1 of a 2 part series, hear what advice he has for pharma, bio executives, and CMOs to successfully manage and even streamline the supply chain.
Two of the field’s most valuable luminaries representing both academia and industry — Dr. Bruce Levine and Simon Ellison, ISCT Commercialization Committee — discuss determining how CMOs can and should successfully manage cell and gene therapy supply chains.
Being a Greater Philadelphia Area resident affords me the opportunity to meet and collaborate with scientists, doctors, researchers, and other highly skilled professionals knee-deep in the cell and gene therapy sector. From the University of Pennsylvania to CHOP to Spark Therapeutics to Tmunity and many, many more, Philadelphia not only continues to shine as the geographical standout for innovation and continuous forward movement for cell and gene therapies but also as the smart economical choice for SMEs in the field.
One conversation with Michael Blackton, VP QA CMC at Adaptimmune, proves why he is known for being a passionate, results-oriented leader focused on QA, analytical development, and more. Validate for yourself as Blackton answers my questions about process development and quality management. And, he provides a fresh outlook on recruiting senior-level executives.
Jiwen Zhang, Executive Director, Regulatory Affairs at Tmunity Therapeutics Incorporated and Cell & Gene Editorial Advisory Board member explains the status of the cell and gene sector’s domestic and international regulatory framework. As President of the International Standards Coordinating Body (SCB), she also provides a synopsis of the most recent Stakeholder meeting.
Cell & Gene Meeting on the Mesa took place last month in La Jolla, CA, and it’s no surprise that ARM delivered meaningful data and addressed cutting-edge research to more than 1,200 attendees. I caught up with ARM’s CEO Janet Lambert after the Meeting to get her take on top highlights, the most informative panel discussions, as well as a look ahead to next year’s event. Here’s what she had to say.
Key Biologics is harnessing new freezing technology to help deliver the future of medicine. Digitally enabled cryogenic cold chain technology can now deliver the raw materials needed to manufacture cellular therapies.
Expansions and renovations to existing biological facilities, and construction of new facilities, provide a unique opportunity to rethink basic design strategies and use new technologies to build a better facility that will improve compliance. This article is the sixth in a six-part series on how single-use systems (SUS) are changing the modern biotechnology facility design and construction paradigm.
Cell therapies have the potential to revolutionize the biopharmaceutical world, but today’s processes, logistics, and delivery make for a challenging entry into the sector’s growth curve. As the industry evolves, we have to answer (at least) three important questions when bringing these exciting new therapies to market.
In 1931, Swiss doctor Paul Niehans injected a preparation of live cells from a parathyroid gland into a dying patient. The patient subsequently recovered, and Dr. Niehans had a eureka moment — that injections of living cells can have tremendous therapeutic value.
Frost & Sullivan recently invited academic and industry leaders in neuroscience research to participate in a unique thought leadership forum, our Virtual Think Tank series, titled Biomarkers for the Brain. This forum brought together leading minds involved in the study of biomarkers of central nervous system (CNS) diseases and disorders. The Virtual Think Tank stirred discussion about technological advancements in the field, current progress, future implications of the research and development occurring today, plus unmet needs in tools, key challenges that still remain, and expectations for future usage of biomarkers in CNS diseases.
