The CGT value chain: differences from the traditional pharma The development in Cell & Gene Therapy (CGT) – deeply accelerated since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic – is leading to a major shift of paradigm in the biopharmaceutical business model.  CGT represents unique opportunities for care, opening the way to unprecedented and unthinkable cures and provoking a positive impact on the global society.  In the meantime, such change cannot happen without crucial interventions on the entire value chain of CGT, which must be founded on different operating principles....

Cell & Gene Therapy: the (recent) origins Cell & Gene Therapy (CGT) has its roots in the second half of the 20th century. At this time, researchers started to discover the immense potential of incorporating DNA sequences into patients’ cells for treating people with genetic disorders.  However, it was necessary to wait until the beginning of the 1990s to launch the first gene therapy trial on humans. During this time, it was possible to better understand the immunogenicity and integration patterns of viral vectors. Technology was progressively improved, and delivery mechanisms...

Did you know that more than 3,500 years ago Egyptians invented aspirin? Though Hippocrates (born 460 BC) is widely credited as being the father of modern medicine. The field of medicine has progressed substantially throughout history, both traditional and modern. Today, there are nearly 400 cell and gene therapies (CGT) in development for a variety of diseases and conditions. Cell and gene therapies are beginning to deliver on their promise, providing not only treatments for previously incurable diseases, but also, in some cases, providing actual cures. Let’s start with two notions of medicine:  Modern...

For over a year INCONCRETO has been working at Benslimane, in Morocco, as the Project Management Office (PMO) for Sensyo Pharmatech. Sensyo is a new pharmaceutical company investing in aseptic filling capabilities for vaccines in Morocco. I am delighted to share this interview with our partner Peter Bell to show you more about this interesting and impressive project. You will find Peter Bell’s profile at the end of the interview: INCONCRETO TEAM – BENSLIMANE Carla: What is INCONCRETO doing in Morocco? Peter Bell: To deal with the urgency to fight against Covid-19, and...

The microprocessor, also known as the Central Processing Unit (CPU), is the brain of all computers. A kind of miniature electronic device that contains the arithmetic, logic, and control circuitry necessary to perform the functions of a digital computer’s central processing unit. Computer systems aren’t the only devices that use microprocessors. Everything from smartphones to household appliances (e.g., microwaves) to cars use microprocessors these days. In the early 1970s, the introduction of large-scale integration (LSI)—which made it possible...

It is white coloured, almost silver. It is particularly rare all over the world but it becomes increasingly requested. This is why lithium is known as the white gold. It has the lowest density of all metals. It reacts intensely when put in contact with water, forming hydrated oxide and highly flammable hydrogen. Despite being named after the Ancient Greek word for “stone”, which common sense tends to associate to something heavy, it is the lightest of the existing metals. Petalite and lepidolite, mineral from which lithium is extracted These are the general characteristics of...

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is attempting to accomplish something unique. NEOM, a new concept for a high-tech development area, will rise from the desert sands and bring to life a new, self-sustainable, carbon neutral society. NEOM will include a smart city built horizontally, supported by high-tech industrial and logistics areas making it a future destination for sustainable living.   The NEOM project is located in Tabuk, in the northwest of Saudi Arabia, stretching along the Gulf of Aqaba and 468 km of coastline with beaches, as well as mountains up to 2,500 m high, covering...