Abstract

Pathways to the Widespread Adoption of Cell Therapies

Michael Whitaker, Dean of Research & Innovation, Newcastle University

An analysis of the US clinical trials database shows that clinicians are the originators of new stem cell therapies, as well as companies. Many developing stem cell therapies are administered using invasive clinical procedures, so again clinicians are involved in their delivery. Clinicians are also best placed to situate a cell therapy within a care pathway or to help develop a new care pathway. Clinicians can champion new cell therapies and encourage dissemination and adoption by colleagues. Finally, clinicians are instrumental in developing an approach to procurement of cell therapies by health care providers. Cell therapies are thus more dependent on cooperation and collaboration between clinicians and companies than other therapeutics. For cell therapies, the route to the clinic is very clearly through the clinic.