3 Questions with… Bill Scott

What are the biggest challenges in the advanced therapy industry?

For Academics, navigating the strict regulatory landscape to achieve clinical translation is the biggest challenge. Many studies will not consider key materials choices suited to clinical application or commercial scale–up which may mean that years of hard work will need to be replicated. This along with significant funding requirements has had a trickle–down impact on the number of novel therapeutics which made it through to this key step holding back innovation in the field.

What advanced therapy innovations are you most excited about?

For me, given my background in solid organ transplantation, I’m most excited by the application of therapeutic adjuvants to improve utilisation of the donor pool for those suffering from end–stage organ failure. We have only just begun exploring the potential here and the potential for engineered or even fully manufactured organs to treat these patients could be game changing.

What are your predictions for the next 5 years for the Advanced Therapy Industry?

The next 5 years will continue to see growth and investment in the space as more therapies successfully move to the clinic and obtain reimbursement. Emerging tools will continue to enable new therapeutics with a deeper understanding and mitigation of risks enabling translation in a more diverse patient pool.