Nikola Vojnovic: I don’t think it’s far-fetched that the new cancer medicine comes from KI

Curing previously incurable diseases
In Flemingsberg, life-saving drugs are being developed that have the potential to cure diseases that were previously incurable. Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMPs) are based on cells, tissues, or genes and are divided into three main categories: somatic cell therapies, gene therapies, and tissue engineering products.

– There’s probably no other place than Stockholm that has as much already developed in ATMP. And that’s the purpose of the event, to highlight Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital’s ATMP center, ATMP Flemingsberg, and the entire network here. I don’t think many understand what’s available and being done here in Flemingsberg within advanced therapies, says Nikola Vojnovic, BioPharma Account Manager at Miltenyi Biotec.

Making ATMP accessible
Miltenyi Biotec’s mission is to promote scientific understanding and medicine by providing solutions for cell and gene therapy and biomedical research. Today, cancer treatment within ATMP, known as CAR T-cell therapy, is very costly, Nikola Vojnovic explains.

– It’s a bit different to make medicine out of a living thing compared to a powder that becomes a tablet. It’s obviously costly, but the price is driven by the market. We want to provide solutions in order to make ATMPs more readily available to patients.

– To make ATMP more accessible, we need to showcase the opportunities available to companies and other stakeholders. The purpose of the event on the twenty-first of March is, among other things, to show companies that previously didn’t believe their drugs would reach phase 3 and receive market approval, that they can actually achieve this themselves, Nikola continues.

What to expect from the event?
The academic landscape in Flemingsberg is unique. The ATMP event will provide insight into Ana Futura’s Pre-GMP and Vecura, a production unit within KCC for advanced therapy medicinal products and cells for transplantation at Campus Flemingsberg.

– We want it to be an educational introductory seminar that clearly explains what Pre-GMP and GMP mean. We want to show how you can take your process to the next level and how Vecura can help you scale up. In addition, Stefan Mielke, an expert in the field, will give a presentation. We also look forward to a company from Uppsala sharing their journey, which started at Vecura in Flemingsberg.

– But it will also be a lot of nice people, some fun chatter, good vibes, and a lovely mingle, says Nikola.

A hub of potential
But what does the location Flemingsberg mean for Miltenyi Biotec and why should the event be here? Nikola highlights the vision, premises and infrastructure, but also the enormous expertise that exists in Flemingsberg.

– Flemingsberg had a vision early on that has resulted in a strong infrastructure. But what stands out are the people who are here. They have gathered competent and skilled researchers and staff who can guide and help you on site. They offer a service, although at the same time it is a learning experience because they also have PhD students. It’s like a complex, complicated wheel just spinning here.

– There is an entrepreneurial spirit in Flemingsberg. It’s an incredible hub of potential, I don’t think it’s far-fetched that the new cancer medicine comes from KI, says Nikola Vojnovic.

Who can participate?
The event is aimed at students who represent the future of research, but also at local experts and researchers who are curious about the expertise that can be found just a stone’s throw away.

– We also want SMEs to come and discover the opportunities that are already here. They don’t have to go to London, they can walk across the street and make this happen. They should be able to say that they are in the right place. In addition, we want the scientific community to be aware of ATMP and keep up with developments because there is so much happening in the ATMP field now,” Nikola concludes.

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