This piece written by Joy Aho, PhD, Senior Product Manager, Be The Match BioTherapies®, was originally published on CellandGene.com in April 2020. We’re living through unprecedented times, both as individuals and as a nascent cell therapy field. The COVID-19 pandemic has had negative implications for manufacturing and shipping across nearly all industries, including very pronounced…
Updated March 27, 2020 (original story follows) Editor’s note: It’s been just over one month since we first shared how established relationships have helped our organization navigate the impacts of the coronavirus on the cell therapy supply chain. Since then, much has changed. Just a few days after we posted the story, reports from Italy…
The emergence of novel cell therapy technologies has led to questions about the necessity of human leukocyte antigen matching (HLA matching) in the development of potential “universal” allogeneic cell therapies. After all, if you can eliminate alloreactive responses, what role would HLA matching play? Martin Maiers, MS, is the Vice President of Biomedical Informatics for…
Looking back at the headlines in advancements in cell and gene therapy in 2019, one theme that comes to mind is collaboration. New partnerships have encouraged progress in the field. One example is the recently announced alliance between Harvard and MIT to develop a Center for Advanced Biological Innovation and Manufacturing. And cooperation between stakeholder…
Challenge When patients’ lives rely on a manufactured cell or gene therapy arriving exactly when and where it needs to, it is essential to ensure each step of the critical supply chain is managed as efficiently as possible. Cellular starting material collection is at the beginning of that supply chain, making cell collection processes vital…
Autologous and allogeneic CAR-T therapies continue to hold significant promise for patients. But with that potential comes challenges, as more CAR-T therapies enter clinical trials and commercialization. Some are universal to both autologous CAR-T and allogeneic CAR-T, but each has its unique obstacles, too. Abby McDonald, PhD, supervises the Solutions Development team for Be The…
This is no doubt an exciting time in the cell and gene therapy field. Hundreds of cell and gene therapy products are currently in clinical trials. And earlier this year, former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, MD, and Peter Marks, MD, PhD, director, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, predicted the FDA will approve 10 to…
This has been a landmark year for the cell and gene therapy industry. It’s also been an exciting year for Be The Match BioTherapies®, as we’ve forged new partnerships and expanded our international presence. We highlight a few key efforts below as we look forward to the year ahead. The push toward cell and gene…
The approval of CAR-T therapies Kymriah® and Yescarta® in late 2017 represented an enormous milestone for patients with leukemia, lymphoma, and other blood cancers. However, the ongoing uncertainty over reimbursement has made it difficult for patients to access the CAR-T treatments. Despite the months passed since the therapies were FDA approved, only some patients that…