The Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult highlight another highly successful year creating opportunities across the UK cell and gene therapy industry.
The 2021 Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult (CGT Catapult) Annual Review released today showcases the growing, positive impact the organisation is having on the UK cell and gene therapy industry with a growing number of companies investing and operating in the UK.
London, 22nd November 2021 – The CGT Catapult has today published its Annual Review 2021, highlighting its key initiatives and impact in creating opportunities and investment in the UK cell and gene therapy industry.
The past year has emphasised the strength and world-leading capabilities of the UK cell and gene therapy industry which experienced significant expansion despite the COVID-19 pandemic. The UK has demonstrated that it is a place of choice to set up advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMP) activities, with 29% of European ATMP companies operating in the UK.
Thanks in part to funding from Innovate UK, the UK Government’s innovation champion, CGT Catapult this year has collaborated with 25 universities and research institutes and 88 companies, including seven at the CGT Catapult Stevenage facility, which forms part of the largest cell and gene therapy cluster outside of the US. The CGT Catapult Stevenage’s unique operational and collaborative model has leveraged 11x the initial investment from Innovate UK, resulting in £850m of investment into collaborators and the facility, attracting national, international and large pharmaceutical companies to the site.
The CGT Catapult has also significantly strengthened the skilled workforce in the UK by up-skilling 3,800 people through their programmes with industry including the Advanced Therapies Skills Training Network (ATSTN), Advanced Therapies Apprenticeship Community (ATAC) and the Advanced Therapies Treatment Centre (ATTC) network. The ATTC network has had a significant impact, delivering institutional readiness, up-skilling NHS staff, and driving clinical adoption also through the 60 plus companies of the industry advisory group.
A key development in the last year was the establishment of the state-of-the-art, 4,627m2 manufacturing innovation facility in Braintree, Essex. The new Manufacturing Innovation Centre, due to be fully operational by December 2021, was funded by a grant from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) in order to establish a flexible facility to progress manufacturing innovation technologies for advanced therapies and support national requirements for manufacturing and preparedness for possible future pandemics.
Richard Hebdon , Director - Health and Life Sciences, Innovate UK commented:
“Whilst the world has been convulsed by COVID-19 in 2021, the Cell & Gene Therapy Catapult has gone from strength to strength – clearly demonstrating the value of science and innovation. In the last year it has forged many more partnerships, grown its facilities and invested in skills and people. Innovate UK is proud to support the Catapult’s vital mission and its shared goal of making the UK a leader in this sector”.
Matthew Durdy, CEO of CGT Catapult, said:
“The past year has highlighted the CGT Catapult’s growing, positive impact across the UK cell and gene therapy sector, which has gone from strength to strength despite the COVID-19 pandemic. With the continued support from Government channelled through Innovate UK, the UK remains the place for ATMP development and manufacture, as evidenced by continued international investment and partnerships with the CGT Catapult and our collaborators.”
The Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult’s 2021 Annual Review can be accessed at: https://ct.catapult.org.uk/our-impact/annual-reviews
The Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult will be holding a webinar on the 23 November 2021 to give further detail on the Annual Review, as well as the Skills Report and Manufacturing Reports, which will be published on the 23 November 2021. To sign up for the webinar, please go to: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/state-of-the-uk-cell-and-gene-therapy-industry-in-2021-tickets-213572118957
About the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult
The Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult is an independent innovation and technology organisation committed to the advancement of cell and gene therapies with a vision of a thriving industry delivering life changing advanced therapies to the world. Its aim is to create powerful collaborations which overcome challenges to the advancement of the sector. With over 350 experts covering all aspects of advanced therapies, it applies its unique capabilities and assets, collaborates with academia, industry and healthcare providers to develop new technology and innovation. The Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult works with Innovate UK. For more information, please visit ct.catapult.org.uk or visit http://www.gov.uk/innovate-uk.
About Innovate UK
Innovate UK drives productivity and economic growth by supporting businesses to develop and realise the potential of new ideas, including those from the UK’s world-class research base. They connect businesses to the partners, customers and investors that can help them turn these ideas into commercially successful products and services, and business growth.
