Ep.19 - Building a World-Leading Biomanufacturing Sector in Canada

Next Generation Manufacturing

In this compelling episode hosted by Jay Myers, listeners gain invaluable insights into Canada's potential as a leader in advanced biomanufacturing, emphasizing cell and gene therapies. With a dynamic panel of industry experts, the conversation delves into strategic opportunities, the importance of developing skills, and how integrating advanced therapies into Canadian manufacturing could revolutionize patient care.

The dialogue highlights Canada's advantage due to its wealth of expertise and advances in regulatory processes. Each panelist brings a unique perspective on overcoming challenges from scaling academic research to commercial production and the importance of continuous learning due to rapidly evolving technology. With a focus on improving patient outcomes through personalized medicine, the podcast outlines the transformative power of cell and gene therapies.

About the Guest(s):

Nathalie Bourgouin: Serving as the Vice President of Quality and Compliance at ExCellThera, Nathalie Bourgouin wears several hats in this emerging biotech company situated in Montreal. ExCellThera is expanding the scope of cord blood applications to develop treatments for various blood cancers. Bourgouin's leadership in quality and compliance is crucial as the company grows its pipeline in cell and gene therapies.

Panos Chrysanthopoulos: As the Chief Development Officer at Morphocell, Panos is leading the charge towards creating liver regeneration therapies using. Under his guidance, Morphocell stands at the frontier of acute and chronic liver failure treatment, transitioning from academic concepts to GMP-level development.

Jana Machan: With six years at CCRM, Jana Machan now helms the organization as the Senior Vice President of Operations. Her focus includes developing regenerative medicine and commercializing cell and gene therapies, attracting essential investment into Canada, and incubating new companies.

Adam Huys: As the Director of the Center for Advanced Therapeutic Cell Technology at CCRM, Adam oversees the development of bio-manufacturing platforms that are revolutionizing the field. He is a key figure in transitioning these platforms to commercialization in collaboration with Omniabio.

Patrick Daoust: The Chief Business Officer at CATTI, Patrick Daoust is shaping the future of biomanufacturing talent. CATTI focuses on hands-on training in cell and gene therapies, ensuring that the workforce meets the high standards of the industry.

Key Takeaways:

• Canada has strategic opportunities to lead in cell and gene therapies, offering personalized medicine and potential cures for patients.
• The development of specialized facilities like Omniabio is essential for bridging the gap from research to commercial manufacturing.
• Training skilled professionals for GMP manufacturing environments remains a significant focus, with entities like CATTI driving this initiative.
• Strategic partnerships, funding, and global networking are crucial to maintaining Canada's competitive edge and stimulating sector growth.
• Regulatory, technical, and operational agility are vital for small companies in navigating the path to successful biomanufacturing.

Notable Quotes:

"The complexity during the manufacturing in clean rooms, that's a very unique element that we're dealing with." - Panos Chrysanthopoulos

"Having a homegrown ability to manufacture essential medicines is of the utmost importance from a security perspective." - Patrick Daoust

"CCRM...is really, I think, building the whole ecosystem." - Jana Machan

"The simpler we make our products by understanding the processes, by building the right analytics...the more successful we will be." - Panos Chrysanthopoulos

"This is the leading edge of advanced manufacturing...a very important strategic opportunity for Canada." - Jay Myers

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