This is joint news from Lund University and Skåne University Hospital.
Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMPs) are medicines based on cells, tissues or genes. With ATMPs, injuries and diseases can be treated in entirely new ways and provide better opportunities to alleviate and, to an increasing extent, cure a wide range of serious conditions.
In Lund, an infrastructure is now being inaugurated in which Lund University, Skåne University Hospital and Region Skåne are working closely together to promote development and innovation in the ATMP field.
“We are now taking a big step forward to bring research closer to use in healthcare. Together, we can drive development so that new treatments can benefit seriously ill patients more quickly,” says Stefan Jovinge, Head of Research, Development, Education and Innovation (R&DEI) at Skåne University Hospital.
“I am pleased that we are now moving forward together. With our new infrastructures in place, we enable an easier transition from research results to treatment for the patient,” says Maria Björkqvist, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine.
Seamless process from idea to product
Taking research projects from the lab to the patient requires a robust and cohesive chain of different infrastructures, expertise and actors. In the case of cell and gene therapies, academia, healthcare and industry need to collaborate in parallel during the development process to get treatments and medicines in place.
Lund University's pre-GMP facility is the first link in the manufacturing chain. Here, they work on translating research projects and the early development of new medicines and treatments.
“The pre-GMP facility at Lund University will work to promote innovation and collaboration within Lund's ATMP environment. Our facility will offer expertise, advanced equipment and process optimization to facilitate the transition from early development to GMP-compliant manufacturing. By reducing time and costs, we help researchers deliver their treatments to patients faster and more efficiently,” says Anna Falk, Director of LU-ATMP.
The next link in the chain is Skåne University Hospital’s ATMP Center, which is a gateway for industry and academia to inquire about ATMP clinical trials. The center also assists healthcare professionals in the introduction of market-approved therapeutic drugs into the healthcare system. The drugs will be prepared in the Center's cleanroom facility in Lund, before being given to patients.
“Cell and gene therapies differ from other types of medicines because they require a different type of storage, usually at low temperatures. In addition, the time span from when a medicine is prepared until it can be given to the patient is very short, and therefore we need to do it close to the patients, in the hospital,” says Gisela Helenius, head of the ATMP center at Skåne University Hospital.
