Gene Therapy Medicinal Products Research Articles

The Current State of Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products in the Czech Republic.

Advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs) represent a new generation of biopharmaceuticals that comprise gene therapy medicinal products (GTMPs), somatic cell therapy products (CTMPs), tissue engineered products (TEPs), and combined advanced therapy medicinal products (cATMPs). The joint effort of the academia-industry-regulatory triangle translated scientific progress into ten authorized ATMPs in the European Community. This notion holds promise for the whole field of ATMP therapies that have been increasingly evaluated in a number of clinical studies, also in the Czech Republic (CR). Here, we prepared an overview of regulatory framework, past and present clinical studies, and already authorized ATMPs in the CR. Clinical studies on ATMPs in the CR were mapped using public databases, particularly ClinicalTrials.gov, the European Union Clinical Trials Register, and the State Institute for Drug Control database. We found 50 registered clinical studies using ATMPs in the CR that mostly involve CTMPs (n = 36), followed by GTMPs (n = 4) and TEPs (n = 4). The majority of the studies use autologous ATMPs (76%) and are aimed at the treatment of oncologic conditions (58%) and musculoskeletal disorders (24%). The most frequent autologous cell type was dendritic cells (42%), bone marrow mononuclear cells (16%) and bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells (13%). Allogeneic ATMPs (12%) are mostly aimed at the treatment of venous ulcers (33%) and utilize keratinocytes and fibroblasts (33%). In summary, ATMPs are increasingly tested in clinical trials in the CR, which will most likely lead to their translation into broader clinical use. However, to stimulate market viability of registered ATMPs, implementation of the sophisticated reimbursement system will be required.

152 - Viral inactivation of clinical grade human platelet lysate by gamma irradiation preserves its optimal efficiency in the expansion of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells

We previously described and characterized a highly standardized and clinical grade human platelet lysate (hPL). We also demonstrated that it constituted a powerful substitute for fetal bovine serum (FBS) for human mesenchymal stem cell (hMSC) expansion required in cell therapy procedures, avoiding xenogenic risks and ethical issues. Even if hPL is manufactured from controlled platelet concentrates released by blood transfusion centres, the recently published general chapter 5.2.12 of the European Pharmacopeia requires the addition of a step of viral inactivation during the production process of such raw material of biological origin used for cell-based and gene therapy medicinal products.

191 - Evaluation of gamma irradiated and limited donor pool human platelet lysate for clinical cell manufacturing

Background: Human platelet lysate (hPL) has been increasingly used as a xeno-free alternative to replace Fetal Bovine Serum (FBS) in all steps of cell manufacturing to solve the potential risks of viral and prion transmission and adverse immunological reactions. Compass Biomedical's PLUS™ hPL is produced in accordance with GMP standards using expired platelet units from AABB-accredited blood banks. Although these platelet units are transfusion-grade and have undergone rigorous serology and infectious disease screening, contamination with currently undiscovered pathogens is possible. The 9th Edition of European Pharmacopoeia (5.2.12) requires that, “for human platelet lysate used for the production of cell-based and gene therapy medicinal products, consideration is given to limit the number of donations which are pooled to less than 16, unless sufficient methods for inactivation/removal of viruses are applied during production.” Accordingly, Compass Biomedical is developing manufacturing processes for both limited donor pools and viral inactivation of standard pools (>100 donors) through gamma irradiation. The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance and lot-to-lot consistency of the two products.

Clinical translation and regulatory aspects of CAR/TCR-based adoptive cell therapies-the German Cancer Consortium approach.

Adoptive transfer of T cells genetically modified by TCRs or CARs represents a highly attractive novel therapeutic strategy to treat malignant diseases. Various approaches for the development of such gene therapy medicinal products (GTMPs) have been initiated by scientists in recent years. To date, however, the number of clinical trials commenced in Germany and Europe is still low. Several hurdles may contribute to the delay in clinical translation of these therapeutic innovations including the significant complexity of manufacture and non-clinical testing of these novel medicinal products, the limited knowledge about the intricate regulatory requirements of the academic developers as well as limitations of funds for clinical testing. A suitable good manufacturing practice (GMP) environment is a key prerequisite and platform for the development, validation, and manufacture of such cell-based therapies, but may also represent a bottleneck for clinical translation. The German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) and the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut (PEI) have initiated joint efforts of researchers and regulators to facilitate and advance early phase, academia-driven clinical trials. Starting with a workshop held in 2016, stakeholders from academia and regulatory authorities in Germany have entered into continuing discussions on a diversity of scientific, manufacturing, and regulatory aspects, as well as the benefits and risks of clinical application of CAR/TCR-based cell therapies. This review summarizes the current state of discussions of this cooperative approach providing a basis for further policy-making and suitable modification of processes.

Prérequis nécessaires pour la mise en place de protocoles de recherche clinique évaluant des thérapies cellulaires et géniques par lymphocytes T dotés de récepteur chimérique à l’antigène (CAR T-cells) : recommandations de la Société francophone de greffe de moelle et de thérapie cellulaire (SFGM-TC)

CAR T-cells are autologous or allogeneic human lymphocytes that are genetically engineered to express a chimeric antigen receptor targeting an antigen expressed on tumor cells such as CD19. CAR T-cells represent a new class of medicinal products, and belong to the broad category of Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMPs), as defined by EC Regulation 2007-1394. Specifically, they are categorized as gene therapy medicinal products. Although CAR T-cells are cellular therapies, the organization for manufacturing and delivery is far different from the one used to deliver hematopoietic cell grafts, for different reasons including their classification as medicinal products. Currently available clinical observations were mostly produced in the context of trials conducted either in the USA or in China. They demonstrate remarkable efficacy for patients presenting advanced or poor-prognosis hematological malignancies, however with severe side effects in a significant proportion of patients. Toxicities can and must be anticipated and dealt with in the context of a full coordination between the clinical cell therapy ward in charge of the patient, and the neighboring intensive care unit. The present workshop aimed at identifying prerequisites to be met in order for French hospitals to get efficiently organized and fulfill sponsors' expectations before initiation of clinical trials designed to investigate CAR T-cells.

Advanced therapies push regulatory boundaries: Novel therapeutic approaches require more regulatory flexibility and transparency.

The regulation of new medical applications has always been lagging behind the science that enabled these therapies in the first place, but emerging therapeutic approaches are pushing the boundaries harder than ever. Although fundamental principles around safety, efficacy and quality are cast in stone, new interpretations and greater flexibility are required for the clinical use of advanced medicines and treatments without introducing unacceptable risks. There are also ethical considerations that, although not new, are amplified by the potential of emerging therapies to address previously untreatable conditions. All major regulatory bodies, such as the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medical Agency (EMA), have for some years been aware of the challenges posed in particular by Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMPs). These roughly include three categories: gene therapy medicinal products (GTMPs), somatic cell therapy medicinal products (SCTMPs) and tissue‐engineered products (TEPs), many of which have emerged from the “omics” revolution and stem cell research. > All major regulatory bodies […] have for some years been aware of the challenges posed in particular by Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products ### Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products Both GTMPs and SCTMPs involve ex vivo manipulation of cells, but with a crucial difference in terms of manufacture and function. GTMPs deliver recombinant DNA to specific target cells in the body, whereas SCTMPs are whole cells or tissues genetically manipulated to change their biological characteristics or functions for preventing, diagnosing or treating disease. These cells can be autologous, coming from the patient, allogeneic from another human being or xenogeneic from animals. One recent example of GMTP is recombinant viral vaccines against cancer engineered from an immunogenic virus particle to express tumour antigens, cytokines or both [1]. SCTMPs were the first AMPs to be tested clinically in 1997 for corneal epithelial stem cell transplantation. Since then, the technique has been …

Regulatory and Scientific Advancements in Gene Therapy: State-of-the-Art of Clinical Applications and of the Supporting European Regulatory Framework.

Advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs) have a massive potential to address existing unmet medical needs. Specifically, gene therapy medicinal products (GTMPs) may potentially provide cure for several genetic diseases. In Europe, the ATMP regulation was fully implemented in 2009 and, at this point, the Committee for Advanced Therapies was created as a dedicated group of specialists to evaluate medicinal products requiring specific expertise in this area. To date, there are three authorized GTMPs, and the first one was approved in 2012. Broad research has been conducted in this field over the last few decades and different clinical applications are being investigated worldwide, using different strategies that range from direct gene replacement or addition to more complex pathways such as specific gene editing or RNA targeting. Important safety risks, limited efficacy, manufacturing hurdles, or ethical conflicts may represent challenges in the success of a candidate GTMP. During the development process, it is fundamental to take such aspects into account and establish overcoming strategies. This article reviews the current European legal framework of ATMPs, provides an overview of the clinical applications for approved and investigational GTMPs, and discusses critical challenges in the development of GTMPs.

Challenges and opportunities in bioanalytical support for gene therapy medicinal product development.

Gene and nucleic acid therapies have demonstrated patient benefits to address unmet medical needs. Beside considerations regarding the biological nature of the gene therapy, the quality of bioanalytical methods plays an important role in ensuring the success of these novel therapies. Inconsistent approaches among bioanalytical labs during preclinical and clinical phases have been observed. There are many underlying reasons for this inconsistency. Various platforms and reagents used in quantitative methods, lacking of detailed regulatory guidance on method validation and uncertainty of immunogenicity strategy in supporting gene therapy may all be influential. This review summarizes recent practices and considerations in bioanalytical support of pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics and immunogenicity evaluations in gene therapy development with insight into method design, development and validations.

Development of the First World Health Organization Lentiviral Vector Standard: Toward the Production Control and Standardization of Lentivirus-Based Gene Therapy Products.

Gene therapy is a rapidly evolving field. So far, there have been >2,400 gene therapy products in clinical trials and four products on the market. A prerequisite for producing gene therapy products is ensuring their quality and safety. This requires appropriately controlled and standardized production and testing procedures that result in consistent safety and efficacy. Assuring the quality and safety of lentivirus-based gene therapy products in particular presents a great challenge because they are cell-based multigene products that include viral and therapeutic proteins as well as modified cells. In addition to the continuous refinement of a product, changes in production sites and manufacturing processes have become more and more common, posing challenges to developers regarding reproducibility and comparability of results. This paper discusses the concept of developing a first World Health Organization International Standard, suitable for the standardization of assays and enabling comparison of cross-trial and cross-manufacturing results for this important vector platform. The standard will be expected to optimize the development of gene therapy medicinal products, which is especially important, given the usually orphan nature of the diseases to be treated, naturally hampering reproducibility and comparability of results.

Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products for Rare Diseases: State of Play of Incentives Supporting Development in Europe.

In 2008, the European Union introduced the Advanced Medicines Regulation aiming to improve regulation of advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs). We applied the ATMPs classification definitions in this Regulation to understand the link of this emerging group of medicinal products and the use of the Orphan Regulation. A total of 185 products that can be classified as ATMPs based on this Regulation have been submitted for orphan designation. Prior to its introduction in 2008, 4.5% of the products submitted for orphan designation met these criteria. This percentage went up to 15% after 2008. We analyzed several parameters associated with active ATMP ODDs focusing on sponsor type and EU-Member State origin, therapeutic area targeted, and ATMP classification [i.e., somatic cell therapy medicinal product, tissue-engineered product (TEP), or gene therapy medicinal product (GTMP)] and the use of regulatory services linked to incentives such as the use of protocol assistance (PA) and other Committees [Committee for Advanced Therapies (CAT) and the Pediatric Committee]. The aim here was to gain insight on the use of different services. The UK submits the largest number of ATMPs for ODD representing ~30% of the total to date. Few submissions have been received from central and Eastern European Member States as well as some of the larger Member States such as Germany (3.6%). ATMPs ODDs were primarily GTMPs (48.7%) and SCTMPs (43.3%). TEPs only represented 8% of all submissions for this medicinal class. This is different from non-ODDs ATMPs where GTMPs make only 20% of ATMPs. A total of 11.7% of ATMP ODDs had received formal CAT classification. A total of 29.8% of all orphan drug (OD) ATMPs requested PA. A total of 71.8% did not have an agreed pediatric investigation plan (PIP). Four products (Glybera one PA; Zalmoxis two; Holoclar one; Strimvelis three) have received a marketing authorization (MAA) and a 10-year market exclusivity. Strimvelis also completed their PIP, which was compliant and received the additional 2-year extension to their 10-year market exclusivity. One OD ATMP (Cerepro) received a negative opinion for MAA. The use of services linked to incentives offered by different legislations for ATMP ODDs is low, indicating a need for increasing awareness.

Clinical Development and Commercialization of Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products in the European Union: How Are the Product Pipeline and Regulatory Framework Evolving?

The research and development of advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs) has been active in Europe and worldwide during recent years. Yet, the number of licensed products remains low. The main expected legal change in the near future in the European Union (EU) concerns the regulation on clinical trials (536/2014), which will come into force in 2018. With this new framework, a more harmonized and swift process for approval of clinical trials is anticipated, which is expected to support the entry of new innovations into the EU market. A survey on ATMPs in clinical trials during 2010-2015 in the EU was conducted in order to study the trends of ATMP development since the earlier survey published in 2012. According to the results, the number of clinical trials using ATMPs is slowly increasing in the EU. Yet, the focus is still in early development, and the projects are mainly carried out by small and medium-sized enterprises, academia, and hospitals. Oncology is the main area of clinical development. Yet, the balance between cell-based products and gene therapy medicinal products in this area may be changing in the future due to the new T-cell technologies. Many limitations and challenges are identified for ATMP development, requiring proportionate regulatory requirements. On the other hand, for such a novel field, the developers should be active in considering possible constraints and actively engage with authorities to look for solutions. This article provides up to-date information on forthcoming regulatory improvements and discusses the main challenges hampering the commercialization of ATMPs in the EU.

Automated Enrichment, Transduction, and Expansion of Clinical-Scale CD62L+ T Cells for Manufacturing of Gene Therapy Medicinal Products.

Multiple clinical studies have demonstrated that adaptive immunotherapy using redirected T cells against advanced cancer has led to promising results with improved patient survival. The continuously increasing interest in those advanced gene therapy medicinal products (GTMPs) leads to a manufacturing challenge regarding automation, process robustness, and cell storage. Therefore, this study addresses the proof of principle in clinical-scale selection, stimulation, transduction, and expansion of T cells using the automated closed CliniMACS® Prodigy system. Naïve and central memory T cells from apheresis products were first immunomagnetically enriched using anti-CD62L magnetic beads and further processed freshly (n = 3) or split for cryopreservation and processed after thawing (n = 1). Starting with 0.5 × 108 purified CD3+ T cells, three mock runs and one run including transduction with green fluorescent protein (GFP)-containing vector resulted in a median final cell product of 16 × 108 T cells (32-fold expansion) up to harvesting after 2 weeks. Expression of CD62L was downregulated on T cells after thawing, which led to the decision to purify CD62L+CD3+ T cells freshly with cryopreservation thereafter. Most important in the split product, a very similar expansion curve was reached comparing the overall freshly CD62L selected cells with those after thawing, which could be demonstrated in the T cell subpopulations as well by showing a nearly identical conversion of the CD4/CD8 ratio. In the GFP run, the transduction efficacy was 83%. In-process control also demonstrated sufficient glucose levels during automated feeding and medium removal. The robustness of the process and the constant quality of the final product in a closed and automated system give rise to improve harmonized manufacturing protocols for engineered T cells in future gene therapy studies.

Clinical development of gene- and cell-based therapies: overview of the European landscape

In the last decade, many clinical trials with gene- and cell-based therapies were performed and increasing interest in the development was established by (national) authorities, academic developers, and commercial companies. However, until now only eight products have received marketing authorization (MA) approval. In this study, a comprehensive overview of the clinical development of gene- and cell-based therapies in Europe is presented, with a strong focus on product-technical aspects. Public data regarding clinical trials with gene- and cell-based therapies, obtained from the European Union (EU) clinical trial database (EudraCT) between 2004 and 2014 were analyzed, including product-technical variables as potential determinants affecting development. 198 unique gene and cell therapy products were identified, which were studied in 278 clinical trials, mostly in phase 1/2 trials and with cell therapies as major group. Furthermore, most products were manufactured from autologous starting material mostly manufactured from stem cells. The majority of the trials were sponsored by academia, whereas phase 3 trials mostly by large companies. Academia dominated early-stage development by mainly using bone marrow derived products and stem cells. Conversely, commercial sponsors were more actively pursuing in vivo gene therapy medicinal product development, and cell therapies derived from differentiated tissue in later-stage development.

Therapeutic approaches using genetically modified cells

Medicinal products containing genetically modified cells are, in most cases, classified as gene therapy and cell therapy medicinal products. Although no medicinal product containing genetically modified cells has been licensed in Europe yet, a variety of therapeutic strategies using genetically modified cells are in different stages of clinical development for the treatment of acquired and inherited diseases. In this chapter, several examples of promising approaches are presented, with an emphasis on gene therapy for inherited immunodeficiencies and on tumour immunotherapy with genetically modified T-cells expressing a chimeric antigen receptor or a recombinant T-cell receptor.

Regulation of Cell and Gene Therapy Medicinal Products in Taiwan.

Owing to the rapid and mature development of emerging biotechnology in the fields of cell culture, cell preservation, and recombinant DNA technology, more and more cell or gene medicinal therapy products have been approved for marketing, to treat serious diseases which have been challenging to treat with current medical practice or medicine. This chapter will briefly introduce the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (TFDA) and elaborate regulation of cell and gene therapy medicinal products in Taiwan, including regulatory history evolution, current regulatory framework, application and review procedures, and relevant jurisdictional issues. Under the promise of quality, safety, and efficacy of medicinal products, it is expected the regulation and environment will be more flexible, streamlining the process of the marketing approval of new emerging cell or gene therapy medicinal products and providing diverse treatment options for physicians and patients.

Creating Conditions for the Success of The French Industrial Advanced Therapy Sector

Although the European Union merely followed the initiatives of the United States and Japan by introducing special regimes for orphan medicinal products, it has introduced a special status for a new category of biological medicinal products, advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs), adopting specific associated regulations. European Regulation (which constitutes the highest legal instrument in the hierarchy of European law texts) [EC] No. 1394/2007, published in 2007, uses this term to define somatic cell therapy medicinal products, tissue-engineered products, and gene therapy medicinal products, possibly combined with medical devices. The stated objective was two-fold: both to promote their industrialization and market access, while guaranteeing a high level of health protection for patients. Since publication of the regulation, few marketing authorizations have been granted in Europe, and these have not been accompanied by commercial success. However, certain recent studies show that this is a growing sector and that France remains the leading European nation in terms of clinical trials. This round table brought together a panel of representatives of French public and private protagonists from the advanced therapy sector. The discussions focused on the conditions to ensure the success of translational research and, more generally, the French advanced therapy sector. These enabled a number of obstacles to be identified, which once lifted, by means of recommendations, would facilitate the development and success of this sector.

Marketing Regulatory Oversight of Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMPs) in Europe: The EMA/CAT Perspective.

With the release of Regulation 1394/2007, a new framework for gene and cell therapy medicinal products and tissue-engineered products was established in the European Union. For all three product classes, called advanced therapy medicinal products, a centralised marketing authorisation became mandatory. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) together with its Committee for Advanced Therapies, Committee for Human Medicinal Products and the network of national agencies is responsible for scientific evaluation of the marketing authorisation applications. For a new application, data and information relating to manufacturing processes and quality control of the active substance and the final product have to be submitted for evaluation together with data from non-clinical and clinical safety and efficacy studies. Technical requirements for ATMPs are defined in the legislation, and guidance for different products is available through several EMA/CAT guidelines. Due to the diversity of ATMPs, a tailored approach for regulating these products is considered necessary. Thus, a risk-based approach has been introduced for ATMPs allowing flexibility for the regulatory requirements. Since the regulatory framework for ATMPs was established, five products have been licenced in the European Union. However, the pipeline of new ATMPs is much bigger, as seen from the significant numbers of different products discussed by the CAT in scientific advice and classification procedures. In 2013, a public consultation on the ATMP Regulation was conducted by the European Commission, and the results were published in 2014. The report proposes several improvements for the current framework and established procedures for the regulation of ATMPs.

Re-examination of regulatory opinions in Europe: possible contribution for the approval of the first gene therapy product Glybera

The first commercially approved human gene therapy in the Western world is Glybera (alipogene tiparvovec), which is an adenoassociated viral vector encoding the lipoprotein lipase gene. Glybera was recommended for marketing authorization by the European Medicines Agency in 2012. The European Medicines Agency had only ever reviewed three marketing authorization applications for gene therapy medicinal products. Unlike in the case of Glybera, the applications of the first two products, Cerepro and Contusugene Ladenovec Gendux/Advexin, both of which were for cancer diseases, were withdrawn. In this report, we studied the European public assessment reports of the three gene therapy products. During the assessment process, Glybera was re-examined and reviewed for a fourth time. We therefore researched the re-examination procedure of the European Union regulatory process. Approximately 25% of the new medicinal products initially given negative opinions from the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use were ultimately approved after re-examination from 2009 to 2013. The indications of most medicines were changed during the re-examination procedure, and the products were later approved with a mode of approval. These results suggested that the re-examination system in the European Union contributed to the approval of both several new drugs and the first gene therapy product.

THE PROBLEMATIC ASPECTS OF THE HOSPITAL EXEMPTION REGULATION FOR ADVANCED THERAPY MEDICINAL PRODUCTS

Advanced therapy medicinal products – new category of biological pharmaceutical products, which covers somatic cell therapy, gene therapy, tissue-engineered products and combined advanced therapy medicinal products. Regulation (EC) No 1394/2007 defined advanced therapy medicinal products and set up special rules for advanced therapy medicinal products intended to be placed on the market in Member States and prepared industrially or manufactured by a method involving an industrial process. The scope of Regulation (EC) No 1394/2007 is not applicable for advanced therapy medicinal products which are prescribed under the exclusive professional responsibility of a medical practitioner, prepared on a non-routine basis according to specific quality standards and used within the same Member State in a hospital, but at the same time it is stressed that Comunity rules related to quality and safety should not be breaked for these products. For this purpose Member States should provide

Preclinical safety studies for gene therapy medicinal products in GLP test facility

Preclinical safety studies for gene therapy medicinal products in GLP test facility