Cell & Gene Collaborative Blog

  1. From The Lion King To Cell & Gene: “The Circle of Life” For Sustainable CGT Products & Businesses 7/10/2023

    We tend to think of sustainability predominantly in terms of environmental/social initiatives. However, the 2023 AGC CDMO Summit presentations also shed light on three additional types of sustainability — and the mindsets underpinning them — that are essential for establishing an efficient business without placing our manufacturing and quality initiatives at risk.

  2. “Our CMC, Ourselves:” 3 Iterative [Self] Improvements In Cell & Gene Manufacturing 6/30/2023

    Here, I’ll outline the three areas in which I felt the discussions at the PDA ATMP conference revealed how we can better “close the gap” between where we currently are and where we know our manufacturing processes can be in the future. 

  3. The “Corps de Manufacturing:” Defining Flexibility In Cell & Gene Therapy Tech Platforms 6/15/2023

    Though the word “flexible” will inevitably appear in any conversation about a manufacturing facility, paradigm, or platform, we rarely stop to flesh out what such flexibility can mean and/or may look like. Here, in part two of this series, Abe Maingi of Inceptor Bio and Jason C. Foster of Ori Biotech help me chisel out how they are thinking about flexibility in tech provider partnerships in the heterogenous ATMP space. 

  4. Defining Risk-Sharing In Cell & Gene Therapy Manufacturing Partnerships 6/7/2023

    In part 1 of this two-part article, Jason C. Foster, CEO and executive director of Ori Biotech, and Abe Maingi, VP of business development and co-founder of Inceptor Bio, share their perspectives on how partnerships must evolve to mitigate the unique scientific and financial risks facing autologous cell therapies. 

  5. Where Fly-Fishing Meets mRNA: The Art Of mRNA Immunogenicity 5/22/2023

    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.

  6. What Fly-Fishing Can Teach Us About mRNA Immunogenicity 5/17/2023

    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. 

  7. Moderna & The Global mRNA Supply Chain: Regulatory Lessons Learned 3/29/2023

    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 chain. 

  8. Moderna's Global mRNA Manufacturing Strategy: A Closer Look 3/27/2023

    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.

  9. Beyond Moderna's Regulatory Legacy: (Re)defining The mRNA Regulatory “Norm” 3/22/2023

    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.

  10. Moderna's Regulatory Journey: 3 Takeaways To Foster The mRNA Renaissance 3/22/2023

    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.