Opinion: STAT+: Impatient about cell and gene therapy? Progress in biotech is not always linear
The arc of biotechnology is one of breakthroughs and struggles, writes Tim Hunt, CEO of the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine.
The sale of bluebird bio and Pfizer’s decision to drop a gene therapy for hemophilia have led to some anxiety regarding the future of cell and gene therapy (CGT). As the chief executive officer of the nonprofit multistakeholder advocacy organization the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine, I hear all the questions: Will the technology meet the promise? Is there a viable commercial model in one-time treatments? Is there a sustainable business that can scale?
I remind people that the reality is a bit messy — but a highly familiar tale of breakthroughs and struggles in the bigger arc of biotechnology.
The CGT story looks a lot like monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), which struggled in the 1980s and 1990s on their way to becoming a $250 billion business that saved lives and changed the world of biotechnology.
