Gene therapy ‘factory’ to save children

A new “factory” that will produce benign viruses for Great Ormond Street Hospital is expected to accelerate the development of life-saving gene therapy drugs.

The facility, which is based in the hospital and operated by the biotech company ViroCell Biologics, will more than double Britain’s capacity to manufacture a key type of gene therapy.

Hundreds of patients with rare genetic disorders could benefit each year by being given access to bespoke experimental treatments.

Gene therapies use highly specialised harmless viruses to ferry healthy human genes into patients’ cells, reversing disorders caused by faulty versions. The technique has been used to tackle cancers and other rare inherited diseases that will often, if not treated, result in death in infancy.

In the NewsFlorence BuchananVirocell BiologicsGOSH, CDMO, Gene and cell therapies, viral vector, cell therapy, gene therapy, The Times, UK CDMO, Great Ormond Street Hospital, ViroCell, John W. Hadden II, Farzin Farzaneh, biotech, Dame Kate Bingham, John Hadden, Rhys Evans, SCID, severe combined immunodeficiency, Professor Claire Booth, leukaemia, spinal muscular atrophy, Leber congenital amaurosis, inherited diseases