By 2026, pharma industry insiders anticipate cell and gene therapy sales to significantly increase, with a real potential for these therapies to overtake conventional drugs in the biomedical space. With more than 600 active global trials today, industry insiders predict that the market value for gene therapies alone will exceed a staggering $10B (€8.5B) by 2028.
The upstream process for gene therapy manufacturing involves vector and cell line development with the goal of harvesting viruses carrying corrective genetic material that makes the therapy targeted and effective. Decisions taken during upstream manufacturing directly influence the downstream process, where the end-product is purified. Therefore, choices in the upstream process impact not just immediate upstream outputs, but also development timelines, and ultimately regulatory acceptance.
Upstream manufacturing of gene therapies today is made all the more challenging due to growing demand, compressed development timelines and the resulting scaling pressures. These hurdles make it imperative that biotechs in this space kickstart their upstream production on the right note, as they aim to ensure scalability, speed-to-market and high productivity.
This infographic, created in collaboration with Merck, gives an overview of the main considerations for biotechs when looking at the upstream development of gene therapies. It also highlights how using optimized, time-effective upstream production templates from future-ready biomanufacturing experts like Merck can help address key upstream challenges.
You can download a free version of the infographic here!
Are you interested in learning how Merck can help you develop your life-saving therapy? Contact the experts at Merck or check out the website for more information.
*The life science business of Merck operates as MilliporeSigma in the U.S. and Canada.