A new centre for medicines in advanced therapy inaugurated
Gunilla Enblad, Professor and Senior Consultant at Uppsala University Hospital, Coco Norén, Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Uppsala University, Malin Sjöberg Högrell, member of the Regional Executive Committee and Chair of the Hospital Board, and Eva Tiensuu Janson, Professor and Senior Consultant and Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, cut the ribbon to inaugurate the ATMP centre. Photo: Anita Maria Szava, Uppsala University Hospital.
Uppsala University Hospital/Region Uppsala and Uppsala University have solid experience and great competence in medicines for advanced therapy (ATMP), i.e. cell and gene therapy, as well as tissue engineering products. Now, the actors formally gather the activities in a centre at Uppsala University Hospital, which will provide support structures for the researchers who want to develop and/or treat patients with ATMP. The goal is for more patients to benefit from the development and receive new treatments, as well as facilitate collaboration. The ATMP center Uppsala was inaugurated on Friday 8 September.
Uppsala has a long tradition in ATMP research and treatment. Gunilla Enblad, Professor and Senior Consultant in oncology, says that Uppsala was early in treating patients. In 2014, the first patient in Europe was treated with CAR T cells here, and the University Hospital, in collaboration with Uppsala University and Baylor College of Medicine, started its first CAR T study (CAR is short for chimeric antigen receptor). Since then, the University Hospital has continued to treat patients with CAR T cells both in clinical studies and with already approved treatments.
“The main benefit of the ATMP centre is that patients will have increased access to treatment with advanced medicines. This issue has been debated for a long while, but now is the right time. The field moves quickly and an incredible amount is happening both nationally and internationally. The whole country gathers strength, and there are several major initiatives, both locally and nationally. We expect to see an exponential increase in approved therapies in the coming years. Already today, at Uppsala University Hospital, we have ATMP production in burn care, where we have a mission in national highly specialised care. To develop this, we require support functions that are now being established”, says Marianne van Rooijen, Hospital Director at Uppsala University Hospital.
Eva Tiensuu Janson, Professor and Deputy Vice-Rector of the Disciplinary Domain of Medicine and Pharmacy at Uppsala University, emphasises that the centre will contribute to supporting existing and future research in the field, as well as making already approved treatments available:
“Through the establishment, we tie the collaboration between the university and the hospital closer. We want to lower the threshold for running an ATMP project, all the way, from the laboratory to the clinic, so that new medicines can benefit patients more quickly”.
Uppsala University Hospital