DDN recently attended the Advanced Therapies conference held in London on the March 17–18 and found one theme that resonated across many discussions. Translating brilliant scientific discoveries into real-world treatments remains a major challenge. Across the UK and Europe, universities produce world-class research, yet far fewer advanced therapies reach patients compared with the US or China. The reasons, as multiple leaders explained, go beyond science — they lie in structure, culture, and early engagement.
Academic research in the UK, for instance, is assessed through the Research Excellence Framework, which ranks institutions based on publications and impact case studies. Similar performance-based systems exist across Europe, while the US and Australia measure impact through patents, spin-off companies, and industry collaborations. These different approaches to measuring academic impact reveal contrasting incentives for researchers. In the UK and much of Europe, emphasis on publications and citation metrics can inadvertently prioritize scholarly output over engaging with industry or translating discoveries into therapies.
This distinction matters profoundly for advanced therapies, where scientific breakthroughs — whether in gene editing, cell therapy, or tissue engineering — cannot reach patients without navigating a complex ecosystem of regulatory, manufacturing, and clinical challenges. DDN had the opportunity to speak to experts at the Advanced Therapies conference, uncovering not only the opportunities but also the challenges inherent in these collaborations.
Joining forces early
Academia drives the early development of advanced therapy medicinal products, but the path from discovery to patient access is far from straightforward. Gene and cell therapies are increasingly entering clinical trials, but the transition into clinical use is still slower than anticipated. The challenge is not a lack of scientific excellence, but rather the complexity of the therapies and the unfamiliarity many academic developers have with regulatory requirements.
Ruxi Comisel of eXmoor explained that this is precisely why early partnerships between academia and industry are critical. “In order to translate these therapies, because they're so complex, people need to come together and join forces,” she said. Universities’ translational research offices understand the science, but navigating commercial strategy, regulatory requirements, and clinical manufacturing often exceeds their scope.
We start with the end in mind. It’s not just about cost of goods — it’s about how the therapy will be administered, accessed by patients, and approved by regulators.
—Ruxi Comisel, eXmoor
eXmoor works closely with institutions such as University College London and Royal Free London, offering guidance on candidate selection; chemistry, manufacturing, and controls (CMC) strategies; regulatory compliance; and risk mitigation. Comisel described how this early engagement helps principal investigators craft development plans that are both efficient and commercially viable. By providing on-site consultations and supporting translational research offices, eXmoor ensures that projects avoid unnecessary detours and are structured to move smoothly toward patient access. “We start with the end in mind,” she said. “It’s not just about cost of goods — it’s about how the therapy will be administered, accessed by patients, and approved by regulators.”
Early engagement with industry experts provides the scaffolding needed to navigate regulatory and manufacturing hurdles, turning discoveries into therapies that ultimately reach patients.
The funding crisis
While scientific discovery in Europe is robust, the availability of capital has emerged as a defining bottleneck. “Funding has been really tough in the last three years,” Comisel noted. “Universities are incubating startups for significantly longer to equip them to go out there and become attractive for investors.” This reality contrasts sharply with the US, where early-stage investment is more plentiful and risk-tolerant, allowing startups to move quickly from proof-of-concept to clinical development.
Claudio Panzarella and Angelo Raggioli of ReiThera echoed this sentiment, emphasizing that early engagement alone is not enough if financial and logistical realities are ignored. Academic teams are often unprepared for the high costs and regulatory requirements associated with good manufacturing practices. “Moving from early-phase collaboration to a solid project execution, cost management can become a big problem,” Panzarella explained.
We’ve seen China make significant strides by combining strong research with active translation, while the US has long benefited from a dynamic cycle of academic discovery, company creation, and industrial leadership.
—Miguel Forte, ISCT
The consequences of this funding gap are visible at a regional level. Europe has invested heavily through programs such as Horizon 2020 and the Innovative Medicines Initiative, yet the number of advanced therapies progressing to market remains disproportionately low. Miguel Forte, President of the International Society for Cell & Gene Therapy (ISCT) and CEO of Kiji Therapeutics, framed the issue in a global context: “We’ve seen China make significant strides by combining strong research with active translation, while the US has long benefited from a dynamic cycle of academic discovery, company creation, and industrial leadership.”
Both Comisel and Forte highlighted that closing this gap is not simply a matter of money — it also requires strategic coordination. Early engagement with regulators, structured collaboration with industry, and targeted funding can dramatically improve the odds of translation. By fostering these links, European institutions can ensure that their scientific advances compete on a global stage, transforming academic excellence into tangible patient impact.
Shaping a collaborative culture
Beyond structure and funding, the culture of both academic and industrial partners shapes the success of advanced therapy translation. ReiThera, a contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), provides a striking example of how academic heritage can inform a company’s approach to innovation. Panzarella explained that the company’s roots in scientific curiosity drive everything they do. “Our business focuses on CDMO services, but the science is always in our head,” he said. The team approaches every challenge with an experimental mindset, drawing on deep knowledge of both the underlying biology and the practicalities of manufacturing.
Crucially, this scientific grounding allows ReiThera to do more than manufacture products. The team collaborates closely with clients, advising on preclinical and clinical study design, regulatory compliance, and even the best sequences or formulations to achieve specific therapeutic outcomes. Panzarella noted that these interactions are highly interactive, often with daily exchanges, ensuring that manufacturing decisions align seamlessly with clinical goals. “We are not just executing a contract,” he said, “we are partners in shaping the path from lab to patient.”
Comisel echoed this sentiment from the perspective of eXmoor. Structured early engagement, coupled with clear planning and risk assessment, gives academic researchers a roadmap to the clinic. But she also emphasized that academics can be understandably protective of their work. “For many researchers, their projects are like their babies,” Comisel said. “They’ve poured years of effort into developing them, and it’s natural to want to safeguard every detail.” However, this pride and attachment can sometimes slow collaboration or make it difficult to share ideas openly. She stressed that structured engagement and building trust with experienced partners in CMC, regulatory, and clinical development can help researchers navigate this protective instinct and allow their discoveries to move forward.
On a similar note, Forte highlighted that the leaders in academia aren’t always the ones best suited to run companies. “That’s why funders often establish a startup and then bring in industrially experienced leadership. When this handover doesn’t happen as it should, it can derail a company’s progress.”
The path forward
Europe produces world-class research, but without the right structures to translate it — from funding and regulatory guidance to industry partnerships — many discoveries never leave the lab. Regulatory requirements, complex manufacturing, limited capital, and commercial hurdles intersect to create a maze that can stall even the most promising innovations. Yet industry leaders are clear: early engagement, careful planning, and trusted networks can turn that maze into a navigable path.
Academic teams can boost their impact by seeking guidance on regulatory strategy, manufacturing processes, and commercial feasibility from the very beginning. At the same time, universities and policymakers can support translation by incentivizing industry collaboration and creating mechanisms to channel returns from commercialization back into research. In a field where science moves at lightning speed, bridging the gap between academia and industry is essential for delivering new therapies to the patients who need them most.
