Mobilizing Community Hospitals To Improve Patient Access To Cell And Gene Therapies: Part 1

By Dr. Sanjay Srivastava, Managing Director, Cell & Gene therapy lead; Rahul Mirchandani, Management Consultant, Life Sciences at Accenture Life Sciences, and Joe DePinto, Head of Cell, Gene & Advanced Therapies at McKesson

Cell and gene therapies (CGTs) are demonstrating significant clinical success, with 32 products available in the US and over 1,000 global trials showing promise in various disease areas. This progress is leading to improvements in disease management and holds the potential for long-term societal benefits. The CGT market is rapidly expanding, with numerous products progressing towards approval and research broadening to include larger patient populations. However, this growth presents significant challenges, primarily due to the healthcare system's inability to handle the complexity of these therapies. Treatment is currently limited to specialized centers, creating access barriers for patients, especially those in remote areas, and placing a strain on existing facilities. To address these issues, expanding the healthcare provider network to include community hospitals and transitioning to outpatient treatment are being considered, aiming to improve patient access and alleviate capacity constraints.