CELL & GENE COLLABORATIVE BLOG

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Where Fly-Fishing Meets mRNA: The Art Of mRNA Immunogenicity
In the final installment of this two-part series comparing fly-fishing and mRNA immunogenicity, I summarize some of the basic immunology-centric underpinnings of our mRNA development efforts and the enduring immunogenicity questions and concerns shaping and re-shaping these efforts today.  Continue Reading..
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What Fly-fishing Can Teach Us About mRNA Immunogenicity
In part one of this two-part article, I spell out some of the decisions fly-fishermen must make to “trick” a fish, and how these decisions are akin to those of the mRNA industry as we strive to successfully navigate “the enigmatic beast” that is the human immune system.   Continue Reading..
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Moderna & The Global mRNA Supply Chain: Regulatory Lessons Learned
One of the most important reminders I took away from Moderna’s experiences ushering its mRNA vaccine onto the global market is that a commercial manufacturing process must also be accompanied by a commercially ready supply chain. Though sufficient physical volumes of each raw material and a redundant supplier network are necessities, physical scale is not the only “CQA” for which we must account when commercializing our supply...  Continue Reading..
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Moderna’s Global mRNA Manufacturing Strategy: A Closer Look
In part 2 of this 3-part series, I argue Moderna’s strategy for scaling its mRNA vaccine manufacturing paradigm globally is one of the best examples the ATMP space has today of what it means to begin with and keep the end in mind.  Continue Reading..
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Beyond Moderna’s Regulatory Legacy: (Re)defining The mRNA Regulatory “Norm”
It’s unlikely we will need to burn nearly as much “midnight oil” as Moderna and the regulatory bodies did during the pandemic. However, I share Moderna's unique experiences because they’re a great reminder that the mRNA therapeutics industry is set to face a much different regulatory challenge moving forward.  Continue Reading..
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Moderna’s Regulatory Journey: 3 Takeaways To Foster The mRNA Renaissance
We may no longer be living in the fast-and-furious days of Emergency Use Authorization, nor are we all working strictly on mRNA vaccines. But after listening to Moderna’s Director of Regulatory CMC Chris Kelly share his whirlwind regulatory experiences, there were still several broad takeaways for companies navigating this nascent space.  Continue Reading..
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Cell & Gene Therapy COGS: Words Of Wisdom To ‘Keep The End In Mind’
As a delightfully diverse space, it goes without saying that understanding a product’s process and COGS drivers will be a highly individualized and complex undertaking. However, there were a few valuable points that came up in my conversation with Dark Horse Consulting's Katy Spink that were worthy of sharing as we step back and consider what "keeping the end in mind" will look like for our development paradigm and its...  Continue Reading..
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Cell & Gene Therapy COGS: Progress & Pitfalls In Our Quest For Affordability
We regularly talk about “getting to know” our products. This can mean a lot of different things depending on the functional area in which we work. But as conversations about affordability and commercial sustainability increase pressure on manufacturing teams, I wanted to get Spink’s thoughts on how we can understand our products from a COGS standpoint and how this will continue to challenge us in the years ahead.  Continue Reading..
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Cell & Gene Manufacturing Risk Vs. Benefit: How It’s Reflected In Our FDA Interactions
Though many important topics of conversation were broached during the 2022 FDA CMC townhalls, there were two within which the industry is working to define how much is too much or not yet enough. In the following two parts of this article, I’ll briefly unpack some of the high-level best practices offered by the FDA to help you work your way towards “just right.”  Continue Reading..
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GMP Principles: The True Star Of Cell & Gene FDA Interactions
The questions posed to the FDA during both the cell and gene town halls indicate that we are trying to better define “phase appropriate” development and understand where our material/vendor selection and qualification need to be more diligent. Despite the murkiness of this topic in general, there were a few best practices I took away from the FDA’s recommendations.  Continue Reading..
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Anna Rose Welch





Anna Rose Welch is the director of Cell & Gene Collaborative. In this role, she is forging close relationships with the leading voices and organizations in the cell and gene therapy manufacturing sphere. This includes establishing a peer group comprising Cell & Gene company manufacturing SMEs, conducting interviews and hosting interactive roundtables on the evolving manufacturing paradigm, and authoring thought leadership articles and blog posts via the Cell & Gene Collaborative blog.

Prior to launching Cell & Gene Collaborative, Anna Rose spent five years building an extensive network and editorial following as the Chief Editor of Biosimilar Development. In addition to penning thought leadership on biosimilar regulatory affairs, government policy, and commercialization advances, she was also an active participant in the biosimilar conferences circuit. She was appointed chair or served as a speaker and panel moderator at international conferences, including the World Biosimilar Congress USA, The Biotech Pharma Summit (EU), the CBI Biosimilars Summit, DIA Biosimilars Conference, and the Biosimilar Medicines Group Conference (EU). In 2018, she was invited to Brazil where she addressed members of the Brazilian Ministry of Health, ANVISA, and local biologics and biosimilar manufacturers on establishing national biologics and biosimilar policies. She also represented the publication on a media tour of Bangkok, Thailand in 2017, during which she reported on the country’s efforts to bolster its life sciences industry. In addition to writing for Biosimilar Development, she penned the introductory chapter to the book, Biosimilars: Regulatory, Clinical, and Biopharmaceutical Development (Springer, 2018).

In 2018, her first book of poetry, We, The Almighty Fires, was published by Alice James Books.