Concept to Clinic: Translating Advanced Therapies in the South West Region
11 May 2022
4:00 pm - 5:30 pm
Hybrid
UKAT is an initiative to join up centers of excellence across the UK, to catalyse collaboration and innovation in Advanced Therapies.
The Southwest Advanced Therapies Network is part of the UK Advanced Therapies (UKAT) initiative to bring together regional Southwest and Wales academic, industry and clinical stakeholders in Advanced Therapies in a forum to connect with the wider UK and international ATMPs community.
The SWAT network is excited to bring this regional event focusing on the path to translation of ATMPs from academic research to clinical delivery; from the perspective of regional leaders and partners in the spirit of a TED talk to share experience and stimulate discussion.
Bristol’s new £6M Science Creates innovation incubator in the Old Market area of the city centre is hosting this hybrid event, with a post-event networking and drinks session for in-person attendance.
Agenda:
4:00pm Event commences
4.05pm Welcome and opening remarks from Chair:
Dr James Griffin, Medical Director Cell, Apheresis & Gene Therapies, NHS Blood and Transplant, Consultant Haematologist, University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust
4.15pm: Panel presentations from speakers:
Andrew Wilson, Senior Research Commercialisation Manager, University of Bristol: Discovery to deal: Progressing ATMPs beyond the University
Dr Julie Warner, Vice President of Regulatory Affairs, Boyds Consultants: A regulatory roadmap to translation of ATMPs
Dr Carolyn Porter, CEO, Cytoseek: Financing opportunities for early-stage Advanced Therapies companies in the South West
Dr Axel Walther, Director for Research in Oncology, University Hospitals Bristol & Weston, PI for Iovance trial C-145-04: The Iovance trial journey
5:15pm: Panel discussion and Q&A
5:25pm: Closing remarks
5:30pm: In-person networking and drinks
Dr James Griffin: Chairperson
Dr Griffin is a consultant haematologist working for NHS Blood and Transplant as Medical Director covering Apheresis, Stem Cell and Immunotherapy Laboratories, British Bone Marrow Registry and UK Cord Blood Bank. He is also part of the clinical team at University Hospitals Bristol & Weston NHS Foundation Trust, he specialises in myeloma and stem cell transplantation and is the lead for the autologous transplant program. Dr Griffin completed his PhD in adoptive Immunotherapy at UCL working with Professors Pule, Chakraverty, Stauss and Morris. This built on an interest in cellular immunology which started with a BSc in Cellular and Molecular Pathology at University of Bristol.
Andrew Wilson, University of Bristol
An experienced commercialisation executive with more than 15 years’ experience of managing the commercialisation of early stage technologies across the health and life sciences. Experienced across a broad range of technical areas including therapeutics including ATMPs and non-technology based healthcare and public health interventions. He is responsible for the identification, protection, development and exploitation of IP arising from the University of Bristol and leads on commercialisation through licensing and spin-out creation. He currently holds NED and observer positions in a number of University spin-outs including those in the Cell and Gene Therapy sector.
Dr Carolyn Porter CEO CytoSeek
Dr Porter is CEO of CytoSeek, a spin-out company from University of Bristol, has 20 years leadership experience working with spin-out companies in the Oxford ecosystem and has previously held roles in Novartis and Chiron. CytoSeek is a discovery-stage biotech company developing the next generation of cell therapies to treat cancer using its pioneering cell-membrane augmentation technology. CytoSeek is applying its technology to enable development of more effective cell therapies for the treatment of solid tumours.
Dr Axel Walther, Consultant Oncologist, PI for the IOVANCE clinical trial
Dr Walther is a Consultant Medical Oncologist at the Bristol Cancer Institute. He is the lead doctor for Gynaecological Oncology at University Hospitals Bristol, the lead of the clinical trials unit at the Cancer Institute and holds an Honorary Senior Lectureship as the Clinical Lead of the University of Bristol Cancer Research Network. Dr Walther is a member of the National Cancer Research Institute’s Ovarian and Endometrial Groups.
Dr Julie Warner, Vice President of Regulatory Affairs, Boyds Consultants
Dr Warner is an experienced ATMP & NCE EU/US regulatory strategist and Vice President of Regulatory Affairs at Boyds, leading the award-winning regulatory team supporting clients across the globe.