Scotland launches collaborative approach to cell therapy development

Published: 22-Nov-2013

Cell therapy companies to be offered a streamlined process for clinical trials


A new initiative by Sistemic and Roslin Cells will see the organisations working with Scottish Development International to make the process of undertaking clinical trials in cell therapy easier and faster.

By bringing together Health Sciences Scotland, NHS Research Scotland, NHS Scotland and leading technology-based industrial partners, the country aims to offer cell therapy companies a streamlined process for clinical trials. This will not only provide access to the right patients, but will also support product development, product characterisation and potency development, making the regulatory process much easier.

A total of €86.91m (US$120m) has been invested into the Scottish stem cell cluster since 2004, building a state-of-the-art clinical infrastructure and funding essential projects for this industry, such as manufacturing GMP-grade human embryonic stem cells (hESC).

Scotland was selected as the location to conduct the UK’s first approved ATMP stem cell clinical trial and already has active cell therapies in clinical practice, which include a pancreatic islet transplantation programme for Type 1 Diabetes and EBV Cytotoxic T Lymphocyte (CTL) bank for post-transplant lympho-proliferative disease.

Roslin Cells' CEO, Aidan Courtney, said: ’Thanks to the outstanding collaboration across NHS, academia, government and industry, Roslin Cells has been able to accelerate the expansion of its cell therapy manufacturing facilities based in the Scottish Centre for Regenerative Medicine.‘

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