The Greater Philadelphia Cell & Gene Therapy and Connected Health Initiative, a multi-year project of the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia’s CEO Council for Growth and 11 partner organizations that was launched in 2019, continues its efforts in 2022 to build awareness about the region’s leading cell and gene therapy hub.

“We anticipate another fantastically successful year in 2022 for Greater Philadelphia’s cell and gene therapy hub,” said Claire Marrazzo Greenwood, senior vice president of Economic Competitiveness for the Chamber and executive director of its CEO Council for Growth.

In 2022, the CEO Council for Growth and its […]

The terrific quality of life in Greater Philadelphia is a recurring theme of a new video series called “Discovery Starts With Me.” Created by the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia’s CEO Council for Growth in collaboration with its partners in the Cell & Gene Therapy and Connected Health Initiative, and the hub’s cell and gene therapy R&D companies, each 90-second story gives a glimpse into what it’s like to live and work in the region.

The videos are shared on social media and as part of a paid campaign on LinkedIn. The intent is to build awareness of the opportunities […]

Greater Philadelphia’s cell and gene therapy hub saw more than $3 billion invested in the sector in 2021, according to data from biopharma database company DealForma. The 17 firms in the region that are reflected in the tally include those performing research and commercial development, as well as a provider of products and services essential to the sector. The deal types range from seed-stage funding for Code Biotherapeutics Inc. to an IPO for Century Therapeutics and a SPAC (special purpose acquisition company) for Renovacor, Inc., in addition to several common stock offerings, several Series A and B rounds, and […]

Two recent articles are highlighting Greater Philadelphia’s prominence as a cell and gene therapy hub. “Both do a wonderful job of communicating the connectivity and collaboration in our region, said Claire Greenwood, executive director, CEO Council for Growth, and senior vice president, Economic Competitiveness at the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia. “In combination, they reach a diverse audience and are a reflection of ongoing efforts by the Cell & Gene Therapy and Connected Health Initiative, in cooperation with our regional partners and stakeholders, to share the story of Greater Philadelphia’s leadership in cell and gene therapy.”

On November 23, The […]

Investor enthusiasm for Greater Philadelphia’s cell and gene therapy sector continues with more than $3 billion invested in the region’s sector in 2021, according to data from biopharma database company DealForma (as of December 3). The 17 firms reflected in the tally include those performing research and commercial development as well as a provider of products and services essential to the sector.

The deal types range from seed-stage funding for Code Biotherapeutics Inc. to an IPO for Century Therapeutics and a SPAC (special purpose acquisition company) for Renovacor, Inc., in addition to some common stock offerings, several Series A and B […]

Spark Therapeutics is committed to creating a world where no life is limited by genetic disease. Learn more about how the company is attracting talent and preparing for job growth from Jennifer Flaisher, chief human resources officer, who answers our questions in this article. Then, hear from Ali Nowrouzi, Ph.D., a senior research scientist at Spark, who moved to Greater Philadelphia from Heidelberg, Germany, about what it’s like for him to live and work in the region. His story is the latest addition to the CEO Council’s “Discovery Starts With Me” video series, and you can watch it

On November 9, the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia hosted a virtual event entitled, “Leveraging Patient Data During the Pandemic: Making Our Region Resilient in the Face of Crisis.” The event brought together healthcare leaders in the region to share their insights into how connected health technology and data supported the region’s coronavirus pandemic response and benefitted patients. The discussion featured speakers from HealthShare Exchange (HSX) and panelists from Einstein Health Network and Slalom Consulting. It was supported by and connected to the work of the Health Care and Life Sciences Action Team, a group of Chamber members working […]

Cell and gene therapy companies looking to attract talent to the Greater Philadelphia region have a new set of accolades from national publications to tout as they communicate the region’s excellent quality of life to prospective employees.

TIME magazine named Philadelphia in its “World’s Greatest Places of 2021” in an article published on July 20, 2021, proclaiming its artistic growth and culinary scene. “A city best known for its storied past,” pens Regan Stephens, “Philadelphia is writing a new chapter this year. The Philadelphia Museum of Art’s elegant Greek Revival façade has remained largely the same since it first opened in […]

The American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy (ASGCT), a key professional membership organization for gene and cell therapy, published the Q3 edition of “Gene, Cell, & RNA Therapy Landscape,” a data report the organization launched earlier this year. Greater Philadelphia’s contributions to the cell and gene therapy space are well represented in the document.

A list of 19 gene therapies approved for clinical use includes three that originated from the Greater Philadelphia area:

• Kymriah, originated by Novartis, was approved in 2017 to treat acute lymphocytic leukemia and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.
• Luxturna, originated by Spark Therapeutics (Roche), […]
  

The opening of the state-of-the-art manufacturing facility is a noteworthy milestone for Greater Philadelphia’s growing cell and gene therapy sector with the September 29 official opening of the Iovance Cell Therapy Center (iCTC) at the Philadelphia Navy Yard. Iovance Therapeutics is a late-stage biotechnology company developing novel T cell-based cancer immunotherapies. In its announcement, the company said iCTC is the first centralized, scalable, state-of-the-art manufacturing facility dedicated to producing tumor infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapies for patients with solid tumor cancers.

“Since Iovance was founded, we have been dedicated to advancing novel cell therapies for patients with solid tumor […]