Aiming for improved delivery, safety, at ESGCT

November 10, 2022 / by Tanner Dockendorf

Covering multiple modalities

Every year, October marks the change in the season, the dropping of temperatures, and the height of conference season for biotech. This year’s ESGCT meeting in Edinburgh, Scotland, was the event’s first in-person occurrence since 2019, and it was exciting to be back – Edinburgh didn’t disappoint! There was rich dialogue amongst industry experts, healthy attendance with over 2,000 delegates, exceptional networking events, and the city of Edinburgh was a joy with several unseasonably sunny days.

From start to finish, the sessions at the conference were strong, from the expertise of the presenters to the breadth of content covered. Talks varied greatly and covered the many modalities of cell and gene therapy and gene editing, developments in technology and innovation, and up-to-date clinical data from ongoing trials.

A compelling throughline present in many of the sessions, regardless of technology or modality, was the identified need for improved delivery, safety, and tolerability of advanced therapeutics. With increasing clinical experience and proven efficacy, continuous improvement and increased efficiency is at the forefront of the industry. Many ideas and solutions were discussed, including:

• New cell differentiation processes
• Improved viral vector manufacturing
• Modified CARs
• Novel capsids to evade innate immunity
• Combination therapies

The resounding takeaway is that developers are doubling down on gene therapy and gene-modified cell therapies, and these technologies are here to stay. The innovation and eye toward improving clinical performance bolsters the already promising outlook for the industry, with an exciting and bright future.

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