In addition to biopharmaceutical manufacturing, the roundtable addressed issues surrounding the need for expanded workforce development required for enhancing the knowledge and skills of current biopharma manufacturing and process development personnel . It is imperative that engineers and scientists are proficient not only in in the latest processing techniques, but that they also acquire a basic understanding of the underlying protocols. NJII has successfully launched a training program and is working with its industry partners toward the development of a standardized, national workforce development model.
“The pioneering work of biopharmaceutical companies in creating a bold new era of medicine is proceeding at an unprecedented pace. As remarkable new discoveries and treatments emerge, the importance of manufacturing to keep pace has taken on vital importance. Our biopharma roundtable and the efforts of NJII’s cell and gene therapy development center, which will open in the mid-year 2019, are focused on confronting and conquering manufacturing obstacles. Our efforts will speed the production of the newest biologic and immunotherapies, such as advanced cell and gene therapy, while controlling the cost of manufacturing at the same time. We are crossing a manufacturing threshold to enable the biopharmaceutical industry to deliver never before imagined precision therapies that are personalized for individual patients. The future has arrived” said Dr. Hartounian.