The second edition of the AseBio-TERAV-CIBER Forum connects academic research and the industrial capabilities of the biotechnology sector in Spain in advanced therapies

AseBio, Red Española de Terapias Avanzadas (TERAV), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII) and Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red held the forum "New Therapeutic Strategies Based on Mesenchymal Cells: Challenges from Academia to Industry" this Tuesday.

In its second edition, the AseBio-TERAV-CIBER Forum establishes itself as a driving force for advanced therapies in Spain and serves as a meeting point between academic research and the industrial capabilities of the Spanish biotechnology sector.

"Research in advanced therapies is a paradigm of therapeutic innovation tailored to the needs of each patient. Clinical approaches in precision medicine, with new medications based on advanced therapies, offer a significant opportunity to improve the health of the population, which is the main goal of our Institute. Therefore, ISCIII continues to support the transition from academic knowledge to the development of industrial applications: advanced therapies open up a vast field for generating economic value linked to the biomedical science industry and health innovation for the benefit of people," stated Cristóbal Belda, Director of the ISCIII.

Advanced therapies represent a new generation of innovative medications based on genes (gene therapy), cells (cell therapy), or tissues (tissue therapy). They have significant therapeutic potential, as they allow the treatment of degenerative and genetic diseases, including some types of cancer, which cannot be treated through other approaches, making them a cornerstone of cutting-edge healthcare systems.

"We cannot envision current science without public-private collaboration. Innovation needs to be sought, and funding must flow through different structures. Forums like these are essential for breaking down existing barriers between technology industries, academia, and hospitals. We all need to work together if we do not want to lag behind the research being conducted in other countries," added Agustín Gregorio Zapata González, Deputy Coordinator of TERAV.

Advanced therapies: Key to Europe's healthcare strategic autonomy

The pandemic caused by Covid-19 has highlighted the need to advance Europe's strategic healthcare autonomy. One of the goals of the Spanish Presidency of the European Union Council, as outlined in the document "Resilient EU2030" a roadmap to strengthen open strategic autonomy and reinforce the global leadership of the European Union.

This document emphasizes the need to "invest more decisively in R&D for new pharmaceutical products and advanced therapies." It points out that in these areas, "Europe lags behind China and the United States."

This commitment will not only help address diseases but also "enhance Europe's competitiveness and ensure affordable access to innovative medicines for European citizens."

"We have the responsibility to be able to support and drive the pace and nature of biotechnological innovations through collaborative models," said Ion Arocena, CEO of AseBio. "This forum is an example of AseBio's commitment to promoting collaborative platforms that involve researchers, companies, hospitals, and research centers, as we outline in our initiative #LifeToBiotechnology."

Spain, a leader in the field of advanced therapies

Spain is positioned as one of the leading countries in the field of advanced therapies, both in terms of scientific expertise and the number of clinical trials. Our country ranks fifth in the number of scientific publications in the field of cell therapy relative to GDP, ahead of countries like South Korea, the United Kingdom, or Italy. In the last five years, Spain has increased scientific publications in all three types of advanced therapies described.

This is demonstrated by the "Map of Advanced Therapy Capabilities in the Biotechnology Industry" in Spain. Out of the more than 300 members of AseBio, 47 work in the field of advanced therapies. Among these, 12 belong to the academic sector, and 35 are biotechnology companies conducting their activities in our country.

Cell therapy is the primary advanced therapy worked on by AseBio members. Of these 47 members, 85% work on cell therapy, 60% on gene therapy, and 49% on tissue therapy. It's worth noting that over 30% of these entities work in all three mentioned areas of activity.

Almost 70% of the more than 30 AseBio member companies working on advanced therapies are SMEs, and 10 have industrial production facilities in all three types of therapies spread throughout the national territory. By autonomous communities, the Basque Country occupies the first position with the presence of six of these 10 companies. It is followed by the Community of Madrid (two companies), Navarra, and Andalusia (one in each region).