In this episode of the Ori Spotlight Podcast, Jason C. Foster welcomes Joe DePinto, head of Cell and Gene Advanced Therapies at McKesson, to discuss challenges and innovations in cell and gene therapy manufacturing and supply chains. Together they also highlight the importance of collaborative partnerships and digital innovations to enhance access and streamline processes within the CGT sector. Joe DePinto is a strategic and operational leader at McKesson, focusing on establishing the...

In this episode of the Ori Spotlight Podcast, Jason C. Foster welcomes Matthew Hewitt, Vice President and Technical Officer of Cell and Gene Therapy and Biologics at Charles River Laboratories, to discuss why industry collaboration is needed to experience the true impact of advanced therapies and develop them at a commercial scale. Together they also highlight the role of technology in closing, automating and scaling manufacturing processes. Matthew has over 10 years of experience in the CGT...

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...

In this episode of Ori Spotlight Podcast, we welcome Jim Faulkner, PhD, Independent Consultant at JDB BioConsulting and former SVP of Product Delivery at Autolus. Jim brings a wealth of experience from his remarkable career in biopharmaceutical development and his journey in the industry is marked by significant contributions, particularly in pioneering cell therapy at GSK. The episode offers a deep dive into the evolving challenges in CGT manufacturing – centering on the critical...

In this episode of the Ori Spotlight Podcast, we're joined by Sanjay Srivastava, Managing Director of Accenture's Cell and Gene Therapy Practice. With his extensive background in consulting and a deep understanding of the biotechnology sector, Sanjay offers unique insights into the rapidly evolving world of cell and gene therapies. Sanjay and Jason C. Foster delve into the critical challenges facing the industry, particularly focusing on the scalability and efficiency of manufacturing...

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...

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...

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...

On this episode of the Ori Spotlight podcast, we're joined by Dr Elizabeth Woo, Vice President of Cell and Gene Therapy at ThermoFisher. With 20+ years of experience at ThermoFisher, Betty has contributed to the growth of the company's revenue from $4B to $40B through various technical, commercial and leadership roles. Throughout this episode, Betty provides her insights into how the cell and gene therapy sector is evolving and offers valuable advice for young professionals in the...

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...

We’re back for season two of 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 our first 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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

In episode 20 of the Ori Spotlight Podcast, Jason C. Foster is joined by Jason Bock, CEO at CTMC (a joint venture between Resilience and MD Anderson Cancer Center) as they discuss bringing advanced therapies to patients at scale. Jason has also recently joined Ori as a member of our SAB - we’re honored to have Jason’s expertise and insights support us in achieving our mission. Jason Bock has substantial experience in biopharmaceutical development, where he has previously held senior...

For episode 19 of the Ori Spotlight Podcast, Jason C. Foster is joined by Isabelle Rivière, Director of Cell Therapy and Cell Engineering Laboratory at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), one of the world’s leading cancer centers. Isabelle has also recently joined Ori as our newest SAB member – we’re honored to have her supporting us in achieving our mission.  To this episode, Isabelle brings insights she has gathered from 25 years of experience within the cell and gene...

For episode 18 of the Ori Spotlight Podcast, Jason C. Foster is joined by Ori’s very own Chief Technology Officer, Stuart Milne.  Stuart has extensive experience in the CGT sector, having held leadership positions across R&D, startups and scale-ups – including leading a multidisciplinary CGT R&D team from start-up (Asymptote, 2012) through to acquisition (GE Healthcare, 2017) and divestiture (Cytiva, 2020), and launching IOT-enabled products in CGT.   Together, Jason and Stuart...

For Episode 17 of the Ori Spotlight Podcast, Jason C. Foster is joined by Mike Paglia, COO of ElevateBio, a centralized R&D and manufacturing company developing its own innovative cell and gene therapies. Mike has 20 years of experience in biotechnology, working across the industry from therapeutic antibody manufacturing to drug development. Together, Jason and Mike discuss how ElevateBio supports the cell and gene therapy industry, the long-term benefits of digital manufacturing...

For episode 16 of the Ori Spotlight Podcast, Jason C. Foster is joined by Germfree CEO, Kevin Kyle and VP of Regulatory and Business Development, Carol Houts. Germfree specializes in the manufacture of mobile and modular cleanrooms, laboratory equipment, cGMP facilities and biosafety labs to deliver solutions across the life science spectrum. Together they sat down to explore how Germfree supported the industry through COVID-19 - adapting with innovation within decentralized manufacturing...

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,...

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,...

In episode 13 of the Ori Spotlight Podcast Jason C. Foster sits down with Mike Nicholson (President and Chief Operating Officer) and Matt Haines (Vice President of Manufacturing Operations) at Inceptor Bio, as they share their insights into the cell and gene therapy space. Inceptor Bio is on a mission to cure difficult to treat cancers using next-generation cell therapy platforms. Their unique partnership model, with university oncology research programs, leverages their manufacturing...