CGT Catapult establishes Technology Advisory Board
Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult (CGT Catapult), an independent innovation and technology organisation specialising in the advancement of the cell and gene therapy industry, has established a Technology Advisory Board to provide independent, strategic guidance. The board will support the CGT Catapult in identifying and removing barriers to the widespread adoption of advanced therapies.
The remit of the board will encompass areas including: data and digital; manufacturing and supply technology; product characterisation and testing; and novel patient treatment pathways. They will identify opportunities and challenges arising from new technologies, as well as potential roadblocks to their widespread use.
The board is made up of advanced therapy experts from across academia, industry and regulation. Its members are:
- Chair - Dr Phil Vanek, Founder, Redline Bioadvisors and Chief Commercialisation Officer, International Society for Cell & Gene Therapy (ISCT)
- Dr Deborah Hursh, Consultant and former FDA Senior Investigator
- Mr John Lunger, life science executive and strategic advisor
- Professor Masahiro Kino-oka, Professor in Department of Biotechnology, The University of Osaka
- Dr James McCafferty, Chief Information Officer, Wellcome Sanger Institute
- Mr Ian Rees, Unit Manager Inspectorate Strategy and Innovation, Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)
- Professor Susan Rosser, Director of the UK Centre for Mammalian Synthetic Biology and Co-director of the Edinburgh Genome Foundry, University of Edinburgh.
In addition, it includes the CGT Catapult’s:
- Dr Jim Faulkner, Chair of the Board
- Dr Nicole Mather, Non-Executive Director.
- Dr Jacqueline Barry, Chief Clinical Officer
- Dr Stephen Ward, Chief Technology Officer
Dr Phil Vanek, Chair of the Technology Advisory Board, said:
CGT Catapult has played a critical role in shaping the advanced therapy landscape for more than a decade, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to join the advisory board at this inflection point. As the industry continues to evolve and advance, we need to turn our attention to driving efficiency, adoption, and access. I look forward to working with this advisory board to help identify strategies to accomplish these goals, both in the UK and around the world.
Matthew Durdy, Chief Executive of the CGT Catapult, said:
Our role is to meet the technology and innovation needs of the industry. We are privileged and grateful that this extraordinary group of people have agreed to support us. They will guide us through the challenges and opportunities to ensure that the exceptional benefits Advanced Therapies reach more people.
