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Ori Spotlight

Ori Spotlight

By Ori Biotech

Ori Spotlight covers the latest in cell and gene therapy.

Jason C. Foster, Ori Biotech CEO will be talking to leaders from across the industry to find out more about how we can break down the barriers and seize the opportunities to make sure that every patient has access to life-changing treatments.

Connect with Ori Biotech to learn more about partnering to pioneer innovative technologies in CGT manufacturing that bring CGT products to market at commercial scale at decreased costs while increasing throughput and improving quality: www.oribiotech.com/connect
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Elliot Menschik – Chief Digital Officer, Resilience

Ori SpotlightOct 11, 2022

00:00
45:16
Matthew Hewitt: scalability is a collective problem
Mar 11, 202401:04:16
Adam Siebert & Jeff Holder: early investment in manufacturing is critical for CGT accessibility

Adam Siebert & Jeff Holder: early investment in manufacturing is critical for CGT accessibility

In this episode of the Ori Spotlight Podcast, host Jason C. Foster is joined by Jeff Holder and Adam Siebert from LEK Consulting, who offer an in-depth exploration of the evolving cell and gene therapy (CGT) industry. LEK Consulting, a global leader in strategic advisory, aims to address the critical challenges of scalability and commercial viability within the CGT sector. Jeff and Adam, with their extensive background in life sciences consulting, share their insights on the importance of early investment in manufacturing processes to ensure that groundbreaking therapies can be delivered to patients efficiently and on a large scale. Together they explore the intricacies of CGT production, the significance of early-stage manufacturing considerations, and their vision for making advanced therapies more accessible to those in need. Learn more about: Jeff Holder - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-holder-ph-d-7a391087 Adam Siebert - https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-siebert-8772b327/

Feb 19, 202401:05:34
Jim Faulkner: Why unaffordable therapy success is worse than failure...
Jan 29, 202452:52
Sanjay Srivastava: Are CGTs Developing into a Commercial Dead-End?
Jan 08, 202454:50
Tim Hunt: leading CGT with education and community

Tim Hunt: leading CGT with education and community

We’re joined by Tim Hunt, CEO of Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (ARM). As an international advocacy organization, ARM is a global voice within the cell and gene therapy sector. They champion the benefits of engineered cell therapies and genetic medicines for patients, healthcare systems, and society as well as facilitating influential exchanges on policies and practices, and advances in narrative with data and analysis. In this episode, Tim and Jason C. Foster discuss why it is important to put the patient first and where we should be focusing our attention to reduce the cost of goods and improve the accessibility of cell and gene therapies. Tim also offers his advice for people and companies working in the CGT space. Learn more about Tim: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timhunt100/

Jul 18, 202359:50
Vered Caplan: why yesterday’s thinking is not going to solve today’s problems

Vered Caplan: why yesterday’s thinking is not going to solve today’s problems

We’re joined by Vered Caplan, CEO of Orgenesis, as she shares her insights into the cell and gene therapy sector. With a background in engineering and business, Vered found her passion in the cell and gene therapy industry. She founded Orgenesis with a mission to bring innovative therapies to patients, by leveraging cutting-edge science to create a more efficient, scalable, and affordable pathway to patients. In this episode, Vered discusses: 🧬 The need for greater adoption of technology to overcome manufacturing challenges of advanced therapies 🧬 Why digital is the key to tailoring manufacturing processes to the individual needs of patients 🧬 How industry partnerships support the scalability of therapy products Learn more about Vered: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vered-caplan-4366928/

Jun 27, 202351:14
Daniel Gibson: improving patient access to cell therapies

Daniel Gibson: improving patient access to cell therapies

On this episode of the Ori Spotlight Podcast, we're joined by Daniel Gibson Director of Cell and Gene Therapy Services at Anthony Nolan. Anthony Nolan is a charity on a mission to improve the lives of people with blood cancer and blood disorders, by connecting patients and stem cell donors, funding research into cell therapies, and supporting patients along their transplant journey. Together, Jason and Daniel discuss the barriers limiting widespread patient access to cell therapies, why we need to adapt manufacturing processes, and how regulation can ensure scaleable development. Read more about Anthony Nolan’s work: https://www.anthonynolan.org/

Jun 13, 202354:17
Dr Betty Woo: why it’s important to take calculated risks early in your career
May 09, 202347:33
John Lee: “Cellicon Valley” accelerates development and manufacturing of innovative cell & gene therapies

John Lee: “Cellicon Valley” accelerates development and manufacturing of innovative cell & gene therapies

On this episode of the Ori Spotlight podcast, we're joined by John Lee, Senior Vice President and Head of Cell Therapy at the Center for Breakthrough Medicines. With 20+ years of experience in cancer cell biology at Janssen and GSK, spanning small and large molecules and cell-based therapeutics, John unpicks some of the biggest challenges facing the cell and gene therapy industry. One hot topic within the industry is the “buy versus build” approach to manufacturing. As developers invest more money in building out their own capacity, John and Jason C Foster explore whether early-stage or even larger pharmaceutical companies should build, maintain, and manufacture at a huge cost. Located in the heart of “Cellicon Valley,” CBM boasts the world’s largest single-site advanced therapies facility. With everything on a single site, CBM aims to eliminate traditional logistical development and manufacturing bottlenecks, providing cell and gene development companies with a “home forever”. Learn more about John: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-lee-27b44b4/

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Apr 18, 202350:23
Amy Kappen: connecting CAR-T families with The Best Day Ever Foundation

Amy Kappen: connecting CAR-T families with The Best Day Ever Foundation

We’re back with the Ori Spotlight Podcast, where we’ll be hosting conversations with experts and advocates from across the cell and gene therapy sector, and exploring the latest challenges and opportunities within the industry. In this episode, we talk to Amy Kappen, founder of the Best Day Ever Foundation. Amy founded the Foundation after her daughter Sophia passed away after battling with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in 2017. For Amy and her family, CAR-T was “a modern day miracle” that allowed them to spend more time with their daughter. There is no set timeline to grieving the loss of a child – for Amy and her family, accessing the right resources to support them during this period was challenging. In memory of Sophia, the now Foundation supports a community of families grieving the loss of a child, providing services and resources with the goal to help families regain joyful moments in their lives. Patients and their families are the reason we do the work we do. Amy was so generous in the retelling of her story and Jason C Foster was honored to sit down and talk to her. Don't miss this episode. Best Day Ever Foundation is hosting its annual ‘Shine the Night’ event on April 8th. Find out more here: https://www.bestdayeverfoundation.us/events/

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Watch this episode on our Youtube channel

Mar 28, 202357:46
Philip Vanek – CTO, Gamma Biosciences

Philip Vanek – CTO, Gamma Biosciences

On episode 25 of the Ori Spotlight Podcast, Jason C. Foster is joined by Philip Vanek, CTO at Gamma Biosciences as they explore how the industry is evolving in a digitally connected world.   

Gamma Biosciences is a life sciences innovator focused on bioprocessing tools and technologies for the development and production of advanced therapies, including vaccines, biologics and cell and gene therapies.   

Philip is an entrepreneurial and strategic international business leader. Prior to Gamma Biosciences, he directed strategy and portfolio growth at GE Healthcare’s Cell and Gene Therapy business unit. He has also held leadership positions in a number of life sciences companies including Life Technologies, Becton Dickinson, and Lonza, and is currently a Board Member of CCRM in Toronto Canada and the ARM Foundation.  

Philip joined Jason to discuss the role of digital within the cell and gene therapy industry, overcoming manufacturing challenges to meet the demand for therapies, and how industry partnerships and collaboration can increase the momentum of progress.   

Learn more about Philip Vanek: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanekphil/

Nov 29, 202251:16
Matthew Durdy - CEO, CGT Catapult

Matthew Durdy - CEO, CGT Catapult

In episode 24 of the Ori Spotlight Podcast, Jason C. Foster is joined by Matthew Durdy, CEO of CGT Catapult as they discuss the progression of the cell and gene therapy industry. 

CGT Catapult is an independent center of excellence that aims to advance the growth of the UK cell and gene therapy industry, by bridging the gap between scientific research and full-scale commercialization. CGT Catapult works with partners in academia and industry to ensure advanced therapies can be developed for use in health services throughout the world. 

In this episode, the demand for talent within the industry and how this is evolving as the industry progresses, as well as, the efficiency and economics of advanced therapies were just a few topics Jason and Matthew discussed. They also explored the areas within the industry where the need for innovation is most acute. 

Learn more about Matthew Durdy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-durdy/

Nov 08, 202253:58
Jonathan Hay – Partner, Delin Ventures

Jonathan Hay – Partner, Delin Ventures

In episode 23 of the Ori Spotlight Podcast, Jason C. Foster is joined by Jonathan Hay, Partner at Delin Ventures and Ori board member.

Delin Ventures is a venture capital firm that invests in breakthrough technologies and life science businesses that can have a positive impact on human lives. 

Having supported Ori in their $100M Series B round, Jason joined Jonathan to discuss how Ori’s mission resonated with Jonathan as an investor, key challenges in the development and deployment of advanced therapies at scale and the importance of having a multi-site parallel approach to clinical trials.  

Learn more about Jonathan Hay: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-hay-2046046/ 

Oct 25, 202245:07
Elliot Menschik – Chief Digital Officer, Resilience

Elliot Menschik – Chief Digital Officer, Resilience

In episode 22 of the Ori Spotlight Podcast, Jason C. Foster is joined by Elliot Menschik Chief Digital Officer at Resilience, and Kevin Gordon Chief Digital Officer at Ori. 

Founded in 2020, Resilience is a manufacturing and technology company building a sustainable network of high-tech, end-to-end manufacturing solutions to ensure the medicines of today and tomorrow can be made quickly, safely, and at scale.  Elliot began his career as a physician and engineer before moving into the healthtech industry, where he founded, built and invested in a number of healthtech startups. Prior to Resilience, Elliot worked at Amazon Web Services where he led the company’s work supporting startups, scaleups and investors in highly-specialized industries. He is now responsible for all things digital across Resilience, including software development, data, applications and infrastructure and security.  

Jason, Elliot and Kevin sat down together to delve into the opportunities for efficiencies within cell and gene therapy development, the future of manufacturing and digital-first automation, and to answer the pivotal question of what does good look like in cell and gene therapy?  

Learn more about Elliot Menschik: https://www.linkedin.com/in/menschik/

Oct 11, 202245:16
The Whitehead and Jones Families, Patient Advocates

The Whitehead and Jones Families, Patient Advocates

In episode 21, Ori CEO Jason C. Foster had the honour of being joined by two families, both of whom are strong advocates for increasing the accessibility of CAR-T therapy: Emily, Kari and Tom Whitehead from the Emily Whitehead Foundation, and Lucy and Lewis Jones, parents of Opie Jones.

Aged 5, Emily Whitehead was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). After relapsing twice following conventional treatment, Emily was enrolled on a Phase I clinical trial for CAR-T therapy at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia where she was the pediatric patient in the world to receive CAR T-cell therapy. We’re delighted to say that Emily celebrated 10 years cancer-free this summer!

At the tender age of just 5-months old, Opie was diagnosed with infant ALL. Following unsuccessful steroid treatment, and a bone marrow transplant, Opie successfully received CAR-T cell therapy at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust. He is now a happy and healthy child, celebrating 1-year cancer-free this year!

Jason sat down with both families to discuss their own experiences of CAR-T therapy – exploring the differences between the UK and US healthcare systems and how current challenges limit the accessibility of CAR-T for patients. They also shared their insights into the awareness of CAR-T amongst the healthcare community and how this is rapidly changing with increased advocacy for advanced therapies.

Connect with
Kari and Tom Whitehead, and the Emily Whitehead Foundation | Connect with Lucy and Lewis Jones

Sep 27, 202236:26
Jason Bock – CEO, Cell Therapy Manufacturing Center (CTMC)
Sep 14, 202201:08:30
Isabelle Rivière – Director of Cell Therapy and Cell Engineering Laboratory, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC)
Aug 31, 202245:46
Stuart Milne - Chief Technology Officer, Ori Biotech
Aug 16, 202252:28
Mike Paglia - Chief Operating Officer, ElevateBio
Jul 12, 202252:17
Kevin Kyle and Carol Houts - Germfree
Jun 14, 202249:38
Jo Anne Valentino - Chief Operating Officer, Minaris Regenerative Medicine

Jo Anne Valentino - Chief Operating Officer, Minaris Regenerative Medicine

For episode 15 of Ori Spotlight, Jason C. Foster is joined by Jo Anne Valentino, Chief Operating Officer at Minaris Regenerative Medicine as she shares her insights into cell and gene therapy development.  

Jo Anne has extensive experience in pharmaceutical manufacturing, having previously held senior positions at Merck and Novartis. Minaris Regenerative Medicine is a CDMO dedicated to the production of CGT products, offering high-quality clinical and commercial manufacturing services, developmental solutions and technologies.  

Together, Jason and Jo Anne discuss how digital transformation can support scalability within CGT manufacturing, what can be learned from pharmaceutical supply chains, and the challenges faced within the CDMO industry.

Learn more about Jo Anne: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jo-anne-valentino/

Apr 19, 202244:53
John Connolly - Chief Scientific Officer, Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy

John Connolly - Chief Scientific Officer, Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy

In episode 14 of the Ori Spotlight Podcast, Jason C. Foster is joined by John Connolly, Chief Scientific Officer at the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, who explained why and how the industry needs to increase the accessibility of CGT for patients.

The Parker Institute is a research institute on a mission – to break down infrastructure barriers that have slowed progress in the development of immunotherapies. Their infrastructure builds collaboration between researchers, non-profits and industry organizations to bring treatments to patients faster.

John sat down with Jason to discuss the value of academia and industry collaborations, the importance of flexibility and scalability in CGT manufacturing, and how as an industry we should measure the success of CGT.


Learn more about John Connolly: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-connolly-205b337/

Mar 16, 202245:29
Mike Nicholson & Matt Haines - Inceptor Bio
Feb 23, 202247:04
Adam Wieschhaus and Shaan Gandhi - Directors, Northpond Ventures
Feb 01, 202250:23
Paul Meister - Partner, Novalis LifeSciences

Paul Meister - Partner, Novalis LifeSciences

In episode 11 of the Ori Spotlight Podcast we sit down with Paul Meister, Partner at Novalis LifeSciences - lead investor of Ori Biotech’s series B round - as he shares his perspectives on the potential for CGT.
Paul has extensive experience across the pharmaceutical, biotech and life science fields, having orchestrated the merger of Thermo Electron and Fisher Scientific before becoming chair of Thermo Fisher and, later, chair and CEO of Syneos Health. In this episode, he catches up with Jason C. Foster following the closure of Ori’s $101 million series B round, to explain why he decided to join us on our mission to enable widespread patient access to CGTs and what excites him most about our partnership.

Jan 21, 202241:32
Dr. Farlan Veraitch - Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer, Ori Biotech

Dr. Farlan Veraitch - Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer, Ori Biotech

In episode 10 of the Ori Spotlight Podcast we sit down with Farlan Veraitch, Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer at Ori Biotech. 

Farlan is an internationally recognized expert in CGT-manufacturing, with 15 years’ experience as a leading academic at University College London, pioneering innovative technologies in CGT bioprocessing. At Ori, he leads the research and development of Ori's revolutionary manufacturing technology platforms.

In the podcast, Farlan joins Jason C. Foster to share his co-founder story and explains Ori's unique approach, borne out of a desire to dramatically bring down the cost of CGTs and enable widespread patient access of these life-changing therapies.

Learn more about Farlan | https://www.linkedin.com/in/farlan-veraitch-a677112/

Nov 16, 202145:44
Dr. Qasim Rafiq - Associate Professor of Cell and Gene Therapy Bioprocessing, University College London
Oct 12, 202142:47
Robert Preti, PhD - Strategic Advisor, Ori Biotech
Sep 01, 202152:22
Dr. Annalisa Jenkins - Strategic Advisor, Ori Biotech
Aug 18, 202148:25
Dennis Powers - Vice President of Business Development & Sales Engineering, G-CON Manufacturing
Jul 27, 202145:49
Rahul Singhvi - Co-founder and CEO, Resilience
Jul 13, 202151:31
Deanna M. Petersen - Chief Business Officer, AVROBIO
Jun 15, 202138:08
Bruce Levine PHD - Professor in Cancer Gene Therapy, University of Pennsylvania
Jun 02, 202139:24
Tom & Emily Whitehead with Vincent Carrano - Emily Whitehead Foundation
May 06, 202143:42
Anthony Davies - Founder & CEO, Dark Horse Consulting
Apr 19, 202143:55