With a Chance to Cure HIV, American Gene Technologies Offers Employees a Front Seat to History

Hand holding blood test vial marked as HIV negative
Published on : Published by : Alex Keown

There is a growing movement of professionals seeking jobs with a purpose. The mission-driven culture of a company is a powerful attraction for those value-driven prospective applicants. Curing HIV is one of the bolder missions to be found in the I-270 technology corridor. With its bold mission to develop a cure for HIV, American Gene Technologies Business Development head Norman Rogers said that it’s an “attractive position for people who want a front seat to history.”

CRB Group Has Hand in Providing Space for Philadelphia’s Life Sciences Ecosystem

Published on : Published by : Alex Keown

The Amicus facility encompasses 75,000 square feet of the top three floors of a new building located on Market Street in Philadelphia. The space includes office space, as well as state-of-the-art laboratories. It’s expected to provide space for approximately 200 researchers and drug developers focused exclusively on gene therapies. 

Center for Breakthrough Medicines Taps Joerg Ahlgrimm as new CEO

Published on : Published by : Alex Keown

With a goal of expanding manufacturing capabilities to meet the growing demands of cell and gene therapy production, The Center for Breakthrough Medicines (CBM) promoted Chief Operating Officer Joerg Ahlgrimm to the role of Chief Executive Officer. Ahlgrimm joined CBM last year after serving as Head of Global Operations Pharma Biotech and Nutrition at Lonza. CBM, located within the Discovery Labs campus in suburban Philadelphia, is a quickly growing contract development and manufacturing organization that aims to provide pre-clinical through commercial manufacturing capabilities for client companies. CBM’s offerings include process development, plasmid DNA, viral vectors, cell banking, cell processing, and supporting testing capabilities.

Cell and Gene Therapy Sector Further Advised to Go Digital

Published on : Published by : Chris Frew

Luke Thorstenson, director of business development at cell and gene therapy and production technology firm Orgenesis, also says digitized manufacturing is key to production scaleup.
“A significant challenge in the production of pharma and biotech products is the automation and integration of individual manufacturing operations,” he tells GEN. “Transitioning from the current ‘analog’ labor-intensive manufacturing process to machine automated processes like those in our Orgenesis Mobile Processing Units and Labs (OMPULs) requires digitization and will allow for the same activities currently done manually by an operator to efficiently scale. We believe these steps are necessary to make life saving treatments like CAR-T available, accessible and affordable.”

Luke Thorstenson Appointed Director of Business Development for Orgenesis Inc.

Published on : Published by : BioBuzz Media

Orgenesis Inc., a global biotech company working to unlock the full potential of cell and gene therapies, has appointed Luke Thorstenson as Director of Business Development. As Director of Business Development, his core responsibilities include setting the strategy for major Cell and Gene Therapy (CGT) initiatives and implementing the Orgenesis point-of-care platform in the United States. In addition, he will identify global opportunities for growth and analyze the development of value creation units and business units. He will also manage and establish new partnerships with research institutions like Johns Hopkins University, including the launch of several CGT specific facilities here in Baltimore

Regional Collaborations Emerge to Address the Biomanufacturing Workforce Crisis

Published on : Published by : Steven Surdez

We have been covering the biomanufacturing workforce at length this year because it remains one of the most important topics for companies in today’s near full-employment job market.

In Conversation: Dr. Vipin K. Garg, CEO of Altimmune

Published on : Published by : Steven Surdez

Dr. Vipin Garg, Altimmune’s (ALT) CEO since 2018 and a biotech industry veteran, has successfully led the publicly-traded company through these turbulent pandemic waters. We recently caught up with Dr. Garg to discuss the pandemic, Altimmune’s deep product pipeline, his unique perspectives on the BioHealth Capital Region (BHCR), and the state of the U.S. supply chain and biotech manufacturing ecosystem.

LGBT+ investment firm Gaingels joins American Gene Technologies’ mission to cure HIV, and other serious human diseases

LGBT+ investment firm Gaingels joins American Gene Technologies
Published on : Published by : BioBuzz Media

American Gene Technologies (AGT), an emerging gene and cell therapy company, announced today that Gaingels, a leading venture investment syndicate in service of the LGBT+ community and its allies, made an investment in AGT to support the Phase 1 clinical trial of an HIV cure. The Phase 1 human trial is investigating the safety of AGT103-T, a single dose, autologous cell therapy intended to cure the disease. This investment places Gaingels alongside private investors who believe deeply in AGT’s mission, rapid drug development platform, and gene and cell therapy programs for HIV, cancer, and PKU.

Biotech Boom Magnifies Biomanufacturing Capacity and Workforce Challenges

Biotech Boom Magnifies Biomanufacturing Capacity and Workforce Challenges
Published on : Published by : Steven Surdez

The ongoing pandemic response by the biopharma industry has been historic. Biotech companies and contract development and manufacturing organizations, along with the entire supply chain, have worked together to develop several SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, achieved Emergency Use Authorization(EUA) from the FDA, and began delivering desperately needed protection into people’s arms in less than a calendar year.