Advanced treatments like gene and cell therapies are set transform current care pathways with revolutionary treatments that repair, replace, regenerate and re-engineer genes, cells and tissues to restore normal function. These advanced treatments will potentially offer durable and curative outcomes for patients where unmet medical needs currently exist.
We recognise that bridging the gap between research and treatment will enable cutting-edge developments to transition into transformative therapies.
The Challenge
Our healthcare services are not yet configured to adopt and deploy such therapies on a broad and regular basis. Substantial changes are required across acute care pathways to ensure patient access to these transformative therapies within NHS Wales.
The sector, and much of the technology, is still at an early research and development stage but continues to rapidly expand.
One of the key challenges with Advanced Therapies, is the cost of treatment, which will continue to remain high until adoption and usage increases, reducing unit costs.
The Opportunity
Life Sciences Hub Wales supported a successful funding bid by the Welsh Blood Service and West Midlands Blood Service to establish the West Midlands and Wales Advanced Therapy Treatment Centre (WMATTIC) to facilitate the delivery of advanced therapy treatments for patients.
Recently, Chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) therapy was provided to a number of lymphoma patients in Cardiff. This treatment required a multi-national provider supply chain, but the potential exists to create a Welsh research and industry cluster that will allow such treatment to be developed here in Wales.
As a key delivery partner for the Welsh Advanced Therapies (Adv TX) programme, Life Sciences Hub Wales is committed to developing a variety of special interest groups and consortiums that will help provide a supply chain for Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products across Wales and the West Midlands.
If you are interested in joining our advanced therapies cluster and would like to help form our special interest group/s, please register your interest here or email hello@lshubwales.com.