ISCT 2022: Editor’s picks

Written by Sarah Rehman
News Opinion Upcoming & past events US and Canada

After two long years, the annual meeting of the International Society for Cell and Gene Therapy (ISCT) is back in person (4-7 May, San Francisco, CA, USA). It’s a bumper year for ISCT, who were established in 1992 and are this year celebrating their 30th anniversary. Read on to discover my highlights from the agenda of ISCT 2022, which more than ever before has its eye firmly on translation to the clinic.

What should I look out for?

Learn lessons from industry insiders:

The headline theme for ISCT 2022 is ‘Bench to Bedside to Benefit’ and this year, ISCT 2022 aims to take attendees on a whistlestop tour of the cell and gene therapy development workflow, from discovery and clinical trial to regulation and patient access. In the following talks, hear from industry insiders as they share their lessons learned:

  • Expanded Access and Hospital Exemption: Understanding Investigational Treatment Pathways (Roundtable, 4 May, 14:45): What’s the purpose of investigational treatment pathways? Discover the limitations and considerations when assess non-traditional access routes for your therapy in this discussion.
  • Pushing the Envelope, Managing the Risk (5 May, 13:00): The transition from pre-clinical to clinical studies is a well-trodden, yet unique journey that is impacted by your drug product, the facility/resources you have available, and the complexity of your manufacturing process. Bambi Grilley (Baylor College of Medicine, TX, USA) will chair this session with Kenneth Micklethwaite (The University of Sydney, Westmead Hospital, Australia), Nina Kotsopoulou (Orchard Therapeutics, UK) and Rodney Rietze (iVexSol, MA, USA).
  • Enough Bait Cutting, Time to Fish- Rethinking first in Human MSC Studies (5 May, 15:00): Jacques Galipeau (University of Wisconsin-Madison, WI, USA) is chairing this session discussing early-phase trial design and using omics to decipher predictive biomarkers, and will be joined by Dominique Farge (Paris University and McGill, France) and Karin Tarte (Rennes University, France).
  • Make it, don’t break it! Assuring global commercial success through a strong CGT manufacturing strategy (6 May, 15:30): In this insightful session, Phil Vanek (GammaBio, CA, USA) will discuss the bar to aim for with Jacqueline Barry (CGT Catapult, UK) and Derrell Porter (Cellevolve Bio, CA, USA).

Future-proof your workflows:

The COVID pandemic has highlighted a number of potential weak links in the cell and gene therapy workflow, including starting materials and donors, supply chains and Chain of Custody. If you’re an aspiring biotech looking to scale your operation and future-proof your processes, don’t miss these talks:

  • COVID-19 Effects on Critical Supply Shortages: Strategies to Adapt (Roundtable, 4 May, 10:30): The methods used to mitigate delays work as a short-term solution, but are they sustainable in the long-term? Discover what lessons can be learned across industries in this roundtable event.
  • Allogeneic Cell Therapies: From Proof of Concept to Patient Application (6 May, 10:45): With a panel of Wayne Chu (Fate Therapeutics, CA, USA), Rafael Amado (Allogene, CA, USA) and Howard Foyt (ViaCyte, CA, USA), Michael Gustafson (Mayo Clinic, USA) will describe various applications of allogeneic CGT, update on clinical trials and patient outcomes and identify current challenges in the field.
  • You Made It, Now What? Delivering a World-Class, Holistic CGT Launch (6 May, 13:30): Sven Kili (Antion Biosciences SA, UK) will discuss the challenges and pitfalls of preparing for and executing a flawless CGT product launch, with input from all the major stakeholders, including clinicians, patients, payers, developers and manufacturers, and a panel of Sarah Nikiforow (Dana Farber Cancer Institute, MA, USA), Greg Russotti (Century Therapeutics, PA, USA), Warner Biddle (Kite, CA, USA), Michaela Gabaldo (Fondazione Telethon, Italy) and Luca Pani (University of Miami, FL, USA).

Master management and manufacturing:

Managing people, from your workforce to your investors, is as important as managing your manufacturing workflow. Discover how to collect and apply actionable data and analytics optimize your manufacturing, acquire investment and keep your workforce.

  • CGT Workforce Development: Digging into the Problems and Root Causes of the Workforce Shortage Crisis (Roundtable, 4 May, 13:00): Explore the problems and cross-sector impact faced by a shortage of a competent, trained and skilled workforce as the CGT field tries to keep up with its exponential growth in this interactive discussion.
  • Will CMC Trump Your Data? (5 May, 16:30): Join Qasim Rafiq (University College London, UK) and Anthony Davies (Dark Horse Consulting, CA, USA) for this session.
  • Raiders of the Lost Art: Finding the Next CGT Gem (6 May, 16:45): Co-chaired by Patrick Rivers (Aquilo Capital, CA, USA) and Reni Benjamin (JMP Securities, CA, USA), get top tips from Brian Matesic (Blackstone Life Sciences, MA, USA), Konstantina Katcheves (Bristol Myers Squibb, NY, USA) and Bin Lu (Temasek, Singapore).

Meet the RegMedNet team!

If you’re attending, look out for RegMedNet at booth #607 where you can nominate for the Rising Star Award, get a copy of the Advanced Therapies Glossary and more. Plus, look out for me on ISCT TV!

 

Sarah Rehman

Sarah is the editor of RegMedNet and author of this article. She ensures that the site is up-to-date with the latest news and views in the field of regenerative medicine, from breakthrough therapies to industry collaborations. With a background in both Zoology and Ecology, she has a particular interest in the environmental impact of the industry and the innovations that could move us towards a sustainable future.