Investment and Skills Demand in UK Cell and Gene Therapy Industry Rising, According to Data

Data released by the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult (CGT Catapult) have shown that demands for specialist skills and investment in the cell and gene therapy industry in the United Kingdom are set to increase in the near future.

In the data released on Nov. 27, 2019, CGT Catapult has revealed that employment in the cell and gene therapy sector for the UK should double by 2024 and that the cell and gene therapy manufacturing sector in academia and industry is continuing to grow for a fifth consecutive year. 

The skills demand report has highlighted that employment expansion in the UK cell and gene therapy sector is being driven by the expanding pipeline of living medicines in clinical trials and reaching patients. As a result, more trained staff are being required to fulfill demands from companies that will be undergoing parallel phased recruitment

“It is very encouraging to see the number of cell and gene therapy roles growing at such pace,” saidKeith Thompson, CEO, CGT Catapult, in a press release. “Advanced therapies are progressing from research into becoming commercial products. Thanks to the continuous support from Innovate UK and UK Research and Innovation, we have been able to accelerate the growth of the UK ecosystem, the infrastructures, and the systems that can enable companies to grow and for their therapies to reach patients.”

In the CGT Catapult’s sixth annual good manufacturing practice report, it was demonstrated that the cell and gene therapy manufacturing space is continuing to expand and anticipated to grow further in both academia and industry. “[The] facilities coming on stream now are evidence of the acceleration of cell and gene therapies towards commercialization,” added Thompson, in the press release. “With significant additional capacity planned it is essential that skilled personnel are available. The Advanced Therapies Apprenticeship Community, designed specifically to train and upskill individuals for the sector, setup in partnership with the Medicines Manufacturing Industry Partnership (MMIP), will become increasingly important.”

Source: CGT Catapult