Sheffield University to build gene therapy facility

The construction of a gene therapy facility in Sheffield, UK will advance scientific discoveries into treatment options for patients, says University.

The Gene Therapy Innovation and Manufacturing Centre (GTIMC) is one of three hubs, which are part of an £18 million ($24 million) network funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC), LifeArc, and supported by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC).

The other two hubs are located at Kings College London and NHS Blood and Transplant in Bristol and they will work together by sharing skills and resources to advance gene therapy research.

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The facility will manufacture clinical grade adeno-associated viruses (AAV) and work towards human trials at NHS trusts and Advanced Therapies Treatment Centres within the GTIMC and national network.

“This exciting development and partnership will speed up the pull through of new gene therapies into early phase clinical trials and offer hope to patients with neurological and other rare diseases that can be addressed in this way,” Pam Shaw, director of the NIHR Sheffield Biomedical Research Centre and co-applicant on the GTIMC application said.

“The support given to this initiative will greatly accelerate the translational potential of genetic therapies in the UK and bring benefits in key areas of unmet medical need.”

According to the University of Sheffield, the center will be the first of its kind in the north of England and will provide translational and regulatory support alongside training and skills programs to address the shortage of skills in Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) manufacturing.

Construction of the facility has already begun.