Orchard Therapeutics' CEO One Year In

By Erin Harris, Editor-In-Chief, Cell & Gene
Follow Me On Twitter @ErinHarris_1

Dr. Bobby Gaspar, CEO of Orchard Therapeutics, officially took over the reins on March 18, 2020. You read the date correctly — Gaspar became CEO at the very beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. One year later, and despite the global pandemic, Orchard boasts its first commercial approval.

Why This Matters

The EC in December 2020 approved OTL-200 as the first treatment for MLD in eligible early-onset patients. The company secured $150M in new financing. This new funding strengthens the company’s financial position into the first half of 2023. The company released new positive data for MPS-IH. All eight patients treated with OTL-203 showed stable cognitive function, motor function, and growth within normal range post treatment. And Orchard launched a program to look at the promise of gene therapy in less rare conditions. Orchard is looking at applying its HSC gene therapy platform to address ALS, frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and Crohn’s.

Listen in As We Talk HSCs

Earlier this year, I joined Matt Pillar and the Business of Biotech podcast as part of its cell and gene therapy manufacturing miniseries. We sat down with Dr. Gaspar for an update on the company's pipeline progress. Dr. Gaspar talked extensively about how hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) help avoid bone marrow transplants, the company’s overall approach, and whether this is the future of certain cancer treatments.

Listen To The Podcast