Cell & Gene: The Podcast Erin Harris

In 2021 on Episode 13, Vor Bio’s President and CEO, Dr. Robert Ang shared data about the company’s lead engineered hematopoietic cell (eHSC) product candidate. Dr. Ang is back to talk to Cell & Gene: The Podcast Host, Erin Harris, about how Vor has treated 8 patients demonstrating clinical proof of concept and is also in the clinic with a CAR-T that could be used in combination with shielded stem cell transplants. They also talk through Vor’s decision to build an internal cell therapy manufacturing facility co-located with their Cambridge, MA-based headquarters.

Orca Bio's CMO, Dr. Scott McClellan, joins Erin Harris on this episode of Cell & Gene: The Podcast to discuss how and why toxicities continue to stymie allogeneic cell therapies. They cover Orca Bio's plan to potentially lowering the risk of GvHD as well as Orca-T, the investigational high-precision allogeneic cell therapy being evaluated in clinical trials for the treatment of multiple hematologic malignancies.

On this episode of Cell & Gene: The Podcast, Host Erin Harris talks to Life Biosciences' CSO, Sharon Rosenzweig-Lipson, Ph.D., about the Boston-based biotech's cellular rejuvenation therapies for the treatment of age-related diseases. They cover Life Biosciences' lead program, a gene therapy called OSK that is being advanced in two optic neuropathies – a rare eye disease of aging called non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) and glaucoma. They also cover they why behind gene therapy as a modality, as well as Life Biosciences' partnership with Forge Biologics to manufacture AAV for the cellular rejuvenation technology.

Rare Disease Day is February 29, 2024, and in honor of this important day, Cell & Gene: The Podcast Host Erin Harris sits down with Jackson Laboratory’s (JAX) Rare Disease Translational Center (RDTC)'s VP, Cat Lutz. They discuss RDTC's mission, the specific qualifications that make up a rare disease, how the study of rare diseases can potentially advance progress in common diseases, and much more. 

On this episode of Cell & Gene: The Podcast, Christopher McDonald, Global Head of Technical Operations at Kite, a Gilead company, talks to Host Erin Harris about Kite's recent FDA approval of manufacturing process change resulting in reduced median turnaround time for Yescarta. They talk through the most significant steps Kite took to reach this approval, lessons learned from having worked with the FDA, scaling up technologies for cell therapy manufacturing, and more. 

The Dedham Group's Jennifer Klarer, M.Sc.Eng., Partner and Head of Cell & Gene Therapy, joins Erin Harris on this episode of Cell & Gene: The Podcast for a deep dive into pricing and value for CGTs. Klarer shares a detailed breakdown of the most misunderstood aspects of cell and gene therapy pricing, value, and affordability. She details how manufacturers can get ahead of addressing time to treatment issues typically experienced at launch. They cover obtaining adequate investment dollars, and much more.