In Part One of this two-part series, we reflected on the progress made in the Cell and Gene Therapy (CGT) industry and the importance of patient-centric development. In this episode, we dive into how we can continue to move forward, broaden access, and encourage the development of new treatments. We’ll discuss the critical need to scale manufacturing, even in the early stages of development, to ensure that these therapies reach the patients who need them.

Guests:

• Emma Chan, Director of Technical Development at Orchard Therapeutics
• Matt Hewitt, Chief Technical Officer at the Manufacturing Business Division at Charles River Laboratories

The Cell and Gene Therapy (CGT) industry has made remarkable strides, with significant advancements and the approval of groundbreaking technologies in recent years. However, have we become too dependent on older methods, and are we doing enough to ensure these new therapies are reaching as many patients as possible? In this episode, we tackle these questions while exploring one fundamental issue: Why? Why is it essential to continue innovating to broaden patient access, develop new therapies, and push the industry forward?

Guests:

• Tay Salimullah, Chief Access Commercial Officer at Novartis
• Jason Jones, Global Business Development Lead at Cellular Origins

Welcome back to Invent: Life Sciences, a podcast brought to you by technology and product development company TTP.

With approvals for advanced therapies on the rise, and aspirations to target larger patient populations, it’s time to take stock and reflect and on the progress made to date. In this series, we’ll be looking at the people, processes and partnerships we’ll need to continue moving forwards and delivering the best outcomes for the greatest number of patients.

Over the forthcoming two episodes, I’ll be joined by 4 expert guests to answer two fundamental questions: why do we need to continue to innovate, and how can we do it.

Throughout this series of Invent, we have brought you cutting-edge developments in the Life Sciences industry. 

We have spoken to a wide range of guests who have provided fascinating insights into the manufacture of cell and gene therapies, and what developments in drug testing mean for the future of genetic research. 

A big thank you to all our guests that featured in this series, make sure you show your appreciation to our esteemed guests by re-listening to your favorite episode and subscribing to Invent: Life Sciences from wherever you get your podcasts. 

And finally, a big thank you to you, our listeners, for tuning in each week throughout this series. What has been your favorite episode? Get in touch and let us know!

So for the last time in this series... join me, Stuart Lowe, as we dive into the best bits of Invent: Life Sciences Series 2, a podcast brought to you by technology and product development company TTP.

Throughout this series, we’ve explored different diseases we target, the sorts of cells which are under development as therapies, and how the therapies themselves are manufactured. With all this innovation, we shouldn’t be surprised by the increased focus on the means by which processes and products themselves are characterised. So, do current process analytical tools provide the insights therapy developers need? And how can new technologies be implemented in the fast-moving life sciences field?

To find out, join us on Invent: Life Sciences, a podcast brought to you by technology and product development company TTP.

This Week's Guests

Davide Danovi
Davide Danovi leads the cellular pheotyping department at bit.bio. Bit.bio is an award-winning human synthetic biology enterprise with a mission to code cells for health through applying the principles of computation to biology. In his role at bit.bio, Davide's responsibilities emcompass three key areas. Firstly, Infrastructure and training, overseeing the maintenance of essential instruments, conducts staff training, and establishes data analysis infrastructure for imaging and flow cytometry. Secondly, Cell characterisation, verifying the identities of cells, ensuring the accuracy and reliability of experimental results. And finally, Cell type identification, developing modules to precisely identify specific cell types by screening transcription factors, offering innovative solutions for cell identification.

James Kusena
James Kusena is the Vice President of Operations at MicrofluidX. MicrofluidX is industrialising cell and gene therapy manufacturing through it's latest technology, the Cyto Engine, a unified bioreactor and data platform for cell and gene therapy research, development, and manufacturing. James' career began with a focus on bioprocessing and applications, now as VP of Operations, this focus is now shaping the company's technology to align with industry needs. With demonstrated experience in various sectors of the Cell and Gene therapy industry, including: Process Development, Process Translation, Process Transfer, Research & Development and Commercialisation; James' career reflects a fusion of technical expertise and leadership with a commitment to advancing cell therapy manufacturing industry standards and product quality.

Across the life sciences industry, there is much excitement over the potential impact of stem cells in medicine. And it is clear why; these cells, which can be differentiated into any other cell type, could rewrite the playbook in terms of sourcing cellular material for advanced therapies manufacture. So how might therapy developers benefit from the unique abilities of stem cells? And will they live up to their expectations?

To find out, join us on Invent: Life Sciences, a podcast brought to you by technology and product development company TTP.

This Week's Guests

Marinna Madrid
Marinna Madrid is a co-founder at Cellino, a venture capital-backed biotech company building the next generation of cell-based tissues and therapies with a proprietary platform technology. Marinna earned her PhD and MA in Applied Physics from Harvard University, where she played a significant role in co-inventing laser-based intracellular delivery techniques. Prior to her graduate studies, she completed her BSc in Biophysics at the University of California, Los Angeles, having initially started her academic journey at Riverside Community College. In addition to receiving honors for her achievevements, including the Harvard Graduate Prize Fellowship, she also earned a spot on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for Healthcare in 2019. 

Adil Duru
Adil Duru is a Senior Research Manager at Glycostem Therapeutics. Glycostem Therapeutics is a Dutch biotech company established in 2007 that focuses on the development of Natural Killer cells (NK cells) as a medicinal asset in the fight against cancer. Adil's main research and development interest is exploring novel NK cell and T cell based cancer immunotherapy approaches including genetically engineered NK cells and T cells.

Throughout almost all of medical history, it was assumed that the average white male response to drug trials could be extrapolated to all potential recipients. But when we look at the poorer health outcomes for women and minorities, could the underlying assumptions in medical research be a contributing factor? If so, what is being done to solve them?

To find out, join us on Invent: Life Sciences, a podcast brought to you by technology and product development company TTP.

This Week's Guests
Diana Torgersen
Diana Torgersen is the Executive Director for External Innovation & Emerging Science at Organon. Organon is a global healthcare company with a portfolio of therapies and product's in women's health, biosimilars, and established medicines across a wide array of conditions and diseases.

Shirin Heidari
Shirin Heidari is the Founding President of GENDRO, a not-for-profit organisation with a mission to advance equity through sex and gender senstive-research across discplines by creating public awareness about the implications of lack of sex and gender considerations in research and innovation.

Deana Mohr
Deana Mohr is CEO of MUVON Therapeutics. MUVON Therapeutics is a clinical stage Life Science spin-off from the University of Zurich developing a therapeutic platform for the regeneration of skeletal muscle tissue based on autologous cells, not only repairing damaged tissue but also increasing the regenerative potential of weakened muscles. 

Pharmaceutical companies undertake rigorous clinical trials in order to find out which drugs are safe. But in order to better protect the people volunteering for these tests, regulators decreed that data from studies on animals would be the primary evidence needed before approving a clinical trial in humans. Testing drugs on animals has many ethical and practical issues, and so scientists are looking towards different types of in-vitro models as a solution. But what are these models? How can they move us towards safer, better trials?

To find out, join us on Invent: Life Sciences, a podcast brought to you by technology and product development company TTP.

This Week's Guests

Sylvia Boj
Sylvia Boj is an accomplished scientist and the current Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) of Hub Organoid. Sylvia's journey in the world of organoids began during her postdoctoral research in the laboratory of Hans Clevers - now, at Hub Organoid, Sylvia leads the charge in harnessing the potential of organoids for the pharmaceutical industry. Her mission is to translate the remarkable capabilities of organoids into a vital preclinical platform for drug development and discovery.

Bas Trietsch
Bas Trietsch is a co-founder and Chief Technology Officer at Mimetas in the Netherlands. For the past decade, Bas has been using his expertise in drug development and microfluidics to advance "organ on a chip" technology. This technology creates tiny versions of organs and tissues on a chip, allowing scientists to see how they react to different things and is more accurate than traditional methods. 

Modern medicine has helped us develop many effective treatments for diseases found throughout the body, but we’ve yet to have the same success with the brain. The so-called 'blood brain barrier' controls the passage of molecules out of the blood and into the brain, and so it’s not as easy to use the bloodstream to carry therapeutic molecules as we might do for other diseases. Could the blood brain barrier be the key to treating neurological disorders? How can we target this structure to make therapies more effective?

To find out, join us on Invent: Life Sciences, a podcast brought to you by technology and product development company TTP.

This Week's Guests

James Choi
James Choi is the Principal Investigator of Non-invasive Surgery and Biopsy Laboratory at Imperial College London and is an Associate Professor in the Department of Bioengineering at the institute. The purpose of the Noninvasive Surgery & Biopsy Laboratory is to build incision-less microsurgical devices and methods to locally deliver drugs to the brain. James Choi is a leading expert on the blood brain barrier and has authored numerous research publications in the fields of noninvasive surgery and delivery through the blood brain barrier using focused ultrasound. James Choi's work at the laboratory is currently focused on treating several dieseases, including Alzheimers, using non-invasive devices for delivering drugs across the blood-brain barrier.

Sam Barker
Sam Barker is the Chief Business Officer at Somaserve, a genetic medicines company that is pioneering new medicines for crossing the blood brain barrier and other biologicial barries. Using a proprietary targeted polymer nanoparticle technology, PolyNaut®, Somaserve is delivering genetic materials to cells and tissues of choice, including targeted delivery to the central nervous system. Sam Barker has deep experience in start-up and growth stage companies across drug development from discovery to delivery, with expertise in developing and commercialising innovative platform technologies.

In the pharmaceutical industry, there is a desire to go beyond the traditional ‘compound x acts on protein y,’ and achieve a more nuanced effect on the underlying biology. So, could innovative approaches to small molecules open up a wider application space? And what benefits might this bring to cash-strapped healthcare systems?

To find out, join us on Invent: Life Sciences, a podcast brought to you by technology and product development company TTP.

This Week's Guests

Anne Horgan
Anne Horgan is a partner at Cambridge Innovation Captial, a venture capital firm that invest in IP rich businesses in both deep tech and life science. With a robust academic foundation in organic and medicinal chemistry, Anne's career path began in Ph.D and postdoctoral research which culminated into a role in a small cambridge-based company dedicated to the creation of small molecules for therapeutic applications. Her journey then took her into the fascinating domain of technology transfer, where she honed her skills at Cancer Research UK (formerly known as Cancer Research Technology), helping bridge the gap between groundbreaking research and practical applications, now under the banner of Cancer Research Horizons. Now, Anne's expertise and experience has found their home at Cambridge Innovation Capital, where she continues to play an instrumental role in shaping the future of innovation and technology-driven businesses.

Rabia Khan
Rabia Khan is the founder and CEO of Serna Bio. Serna Bio (previously Ladder Therapeutics) is using an AI-based, data-first approach to write the rules that define RNA-small molecule interactions. Rabia's educational pursuit took her from Pakistan to Canada, where she pursued a degree in genetics, followed by a Ph.D and an MBA. Rabia would also go on to complete a postdoc on IPS derived macrophages in the UK. Rabia's passion for genetics stemmed from the elegance of the four-letter genetic code (ATGC) that defines all living beings, eventually leading her to a company called Sensyne Health, working at the intersection of computational methods and patient data to enable drug discovery. Rabia's journey has traversed both geographic and scientific landscapes, now, Rabia's work at Serna Bio is driving towards the world's first map of the druggable transcriptome.

Cell and gene therapies are extremely effective but their complex production processes, arduous supply chain, and life-critical logistics have prevented mass market adoption. Could digitisation and AI provide a breakthrough in manufacturing? Would more companies be willing to work together on standardisation to provide more flexibility?

To find out, join us on Invent: Life Sciences, a podcast brought to you by technology and product development company TTP.

This Week's Guests

Matthew Durdy
Matthew Durdy is a biologist, investor, entrepreneur, and the Chief Executive of the Cell and Therapy Catapult. Previously responsible for the development of the business and strategy arm of the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult, Matthew's work now combines three sets of experience: corporate investment banking; new venture and innovation management, and biotechnology leadership, into one passion; creating the environment for, and leading the commercialisation of brilliant science into life-changing products.

Alexander Seyf
Alexander Seyf is a business leader, entrepreneur, and one of the co-founders and CEO of Autolomous. Autolomous offers pragmatic digital solutions for cell and gene therapy manufacturing and was founded in 2019 with a mission to revolutionise cell and gene therapy manufacturing through digital innovation. Alexander brings a unique perspective to this endeavor, drawing from his background in physics, the telecom industry, and extensive experience in management consultancy and startups.