Video Roundtable: What can Advanced Medicine Learn from COVID-19?
Our panel of experts consider how learnings from the pandemic – especially the rapid development, approval and manufacturing of the COVID-19 vaccines – could help to accelerate development and commercialization of cell and gene therapies.
Developing, approving and manufacturing COVID-19 vaccines – at scale – in a matter of months is a remarkable achievement for the industry – and for society. While COVID-19 was an unprecedented situation, it revealed what may be accomplished under the right circumstances. With this in mind, are there learnings that could be applied to the development and commercialization of advanced therapies? With the field on the cusp of cures for solid tumor cancers, for example, how can we create a sense of urgency around the need to bring these therapies to patients that need them?
Our panel of experts discuss what cell and gene therapy can learn from the pandemic.
Moderator: Jason Foster
CEO, Ori Biotech
Jason is CEO of Ori Biotech, based in London and New Jersey. Ori has developed a fully automated and standardised cell and gene therapy manufacturing platform. And over the past 20 years, Jason has held leading roles building: pharma, consulting and technology companies.
Panelists:
Tamas Masztis
Senior Director, Cell Therapy Supply Chain for Europe at Kite, a Gilead Company
Tamas built one of the first cell therapy supply chains for Europe and Israel. The successful implementation of this complex, centralised end-to-end supply chain involving the transportation of patient cells has been critical to launching Kite's cell therapies in 24 countries in the region to date. Tamas has over 20 years of supply chain, logistics and procurement experience working with blue-chip pharma companies, including Bristol Myers Squibb and Pfizer. In addition to holding a Master's degree in Finance and Marketing from Corvinus University of Budapest, Tamas is also an Institute of Supply Management Certified Purchasing Manager and is Six Sigma Green Belt certified.
Aron F. Stein
Vice President, Global Regulatory Affairs at Sangamo Therapeutics
Aron provides the vision, strategic direction and corporate regulatory approach for all gene and cell therapeutics at Sangamo. He has over 30 years of product development experience in pharmaceutical and biotechnology having responsibility for multiple drug approvals in both large and small companies. Aron earned his B.S. and PhD at Texas A&M University in toxicology and was a NIEHS postdoctoral fellow at University of Kansas Medical Center.
Roudie Shafie
Director, OVID Health
Roudie is a Director at OVID Health, a health specialist communication agency, where she leads OVID Health’s cell and gene therapy practice, including the Cell & Gene Collective. She has worked in public policy and campaigning for over 15 years. She is the former Head of Government Affairs at the pharmaceutical trade association and before that led Pfizer UK’s corporate public affairs function. Roudie previously worked for Boris Johnson as Mayor of London where she led policy and strategic projects in health, life sciences and tech. Roudie began her career as an Oxfam campaigner. She is a respected industry thought leader and also serves as a charity trustee.
