Shows
Invent: Life SciencesFrom Promise to Practice – AI's Impact on Cell and Gene Therapy DevelopmentIn this episode, Stuart explores the adoption of generative AI in the pharmaceutical industry, with a special focus on cell and gene therapy. While the application of AI for drug discovery has been well documented and a source of considerable investment for the pharmaceutical sector, we are only just starting to see its impact for therapy developers. A 2024 report from McKinsey Global Institute estimates that generative AI could generate up to $100 billion in economic value for pharma and medical product companies, and therapy developers are eager to see these benefits sooner rather than later, no more so than in...
2025-01-2734 min
Invent: Life SciencesFrom Plastics to Partnerships - The Path to Sustainability in BiopharmaIn this episode, host Stuart explores what the sustainability goals of Big Pharma mean for those organisations, and the companies that support them. With insights from Ryan Walker, Sustainability Program Leader at Cytiva, and Wenshu Xu, Drug Discovery Tools Team Lead at TTP, we review the progress made by the industry so far and some examples where innovative thinking has had an impact on operations. Topics include the challenge of tackling Scope 3 emissions, reducing the impact of single-use plastics, and how collaboration across the ecosystem is key to meeting ambitious sustainability targets.Guests:Ryan Walker, Sustainability...
2025-01-1340 min
Invent: Life SciencesHow Climate Change and AI are Driving Innovation in BiopharmaIn this two-part series, host Stuart Lowe examines two factors testing the resilience of the biopharma industry. As society simultaneously navigates a green transition alongside an AI revolution, so the biopharma industry faces mounting pressure to address its carbon emissions, deploy cutting-edge digital technology, while streamlining operations. Along with his guests, discover the innovative approaches that are being taken to transform drug development and manufacturing.
2025-01-0602 min
Invent: Life SciencesHow Innovation Can Broaden Access and Propel the CGT Industry ForwardIn Part One of this two-part series, we reflected on the progress made in the Cell and Gene Therapy (CGT) industry and the importance of patient-centric development. In this episode, we dive into how we can continue to move forward, broaden access, and encourage the development of new treatments. We’ll discuss the critical need to scale manufacturing, even in the early stages of development, to ensure that these therapies reach the patients who need them.Guests:Emma Chan, Director of Technical Development at Orchard TherapeuticsMatt Hewitt, Chief Technical Officer at the Manufacturing Bu...
2024-09-2347 min
Invent: Life SciencesWhy Do We Need to Continue Innovating in the CGT Industry?The Cell and Gene Therapy (CGT) industry has made remarkable strides, with significant advancements and the approval of groundbreaking technologies in recent years. However, have we become too dependent on older methods, and are we doing enough to ensure these new therapies are reaching as many patients as possible? In this episode, we tackle these questions while exploring one fundamental issue: Why? Why is it essential to continue innovating to broaden patient access, develop new therapies, and push the industry forward?Guests:Tay Salimullah, Chief Access Commercial Officer at NovartisJason Jones, Global Business Development Lead at...
2024-09-1646 minInvent: Life SciencesWelcome Back to Invent: Life Sciences - Season 3 TrailerWelcome back to Invent: Life Sciences, a podcast brought to you by technology and product development company TTP. With approvals for advanced therapies on the rise, and aspirations to target larger patient populations, it’s time to take stock and reflect and on the progress made to date. In this series, we’ll be looking at the people, processes and partnerships we’ll need to continue moving forwards and delivering the best outcomes for the greatest number of patients.Over the forthcoming two episodes, I’ll be joined by 4 expert g...
2024-09-0901 min
Invent: Life SciencesThe Highlights: A look back at the best moments of Invent: Life Sciences Series 2
Throughout this series of Invent, we have brought you cutting-edge developments in the Life Sciences industry. We have spoken to a wide range of guests who have provided fascinating insights into the manufacture of cell and gene therapies, and what developments in drug testing mean for the future of genetic research. A big thank you to all our guests that featured in this series, make sure you show your appreciation to our esteemed guests by re-listening to your favorite episode and subscribing to Invent: Life Sciences from wherever you get your podcasts. And fin...
2023-11-1514 min
Invent: Life SciencesProcess Analytics: how can analytics accelerate the development and manufacture of cell and gene therapies?
Throughout this series, we’ve explored different diseases we target, the sorts of cells which are under development as therapies, and how the therapies themselves are manufactured. With all this innovation, we shouldn’t be surprised by the increased focus on the means by which processes and products themselves are characterised. So, do current process analytical tools provide the insights therapy developers need? And how can new technologies be implemented in the fast-moving life sciences field?To find out, join us on Invent: Life Sciences, a podcast brought to you by technology and product deve...
2023-11-0839 min
Invent: Life SciencesiPSCs: how could stem cells revolutionise the manufacture of advanced therapies?
Across the life sciences industry, there is much excitement over the potential impact of stem cells in medicine. And it is clear why; these cells, which can be differentiated into any other cell type, could rewrite the playbook in terms of sourcing cellular material for advanced therapies manufacture. So how might therapy developers benefit from the unique abilities of stem cells? And will they live up to their expectations?To find out, join us on Invent: Life Sciences, a podcast brought to you by technology and product development company TTP.This Week's...
2023-11-0138 min
Invent: Life SciencesSex and gender in medical research: how can a focus on the individual improve health outcomes for marginalised groups?
Throughout almost all of medical history, it was assumed that the average white male response to drug trials could be extrapolated to all potential recipients. But when we look at the poorer health outcomes for women and minorities, could the underlying assumptions in medical research be a contributing factor? If so, what is being done to solve them?To find out, join us on Invent: Life Sciences, a podcast brought to you by technology and product development company TTP.This Week's GuestsDiana TorgersenDiana Torgersen is the Executive...
2023-10-2535 min
Invent: Life SciencesOrganoids: how are in-vitro models revolutionising drug development and testing?
Pharmaceutical companies undertake rigorous clinical trials in order to find out which drugs are safe. But in order to better protect the people volunteering for these tests, regulators decreed that data from studies on animals would be the primary evidence needed before approving a clinical trial in humans. Testing drugs on animals has many ethical and practical issues, and so scientists are looking towards different types of in-vitro models as a solution. But what are these models? How can they move us towards safer, better trials?To find out, join us on Invent: Life...
2023-10-1834 min
Invent: Life SciencesThe Blood Brain Barrier: can innovations in delivery help us unlock the brain?
Modern medicine has helped us develop many effective treatments for diseases found throughout the body, but we’ve yet to have the same success with the brain. The so-called 'blood brain barrier' controls the passage of molecules out of the blood and into the brain, and so it’s not as easy to use the bloodstream to carry therapeutic molecules as we might do for other diseases. Could the blood brain barrier be the key to treating neurological disorders? How can we target this structure to make therapies more effective?To find out, join us o...
2023-10-1138 min
Invent: Life SciencesSmall Molecules: can new classes of drug target reinvigorate drug discovery?
In the pharmaceutical industry, there is a desire to go beyond the traditional ‘compound x acts on protein y,’ and achieve a more nuanced effect on the underlying biology. So, could innovative approaches to small molecules open up a wider application space? And what benefits might this bring to cash-strapped healthcare systems?To find out, join us on Invent: Life Sciences, a podcast brought to you by technology and product development company TTP.This Week's GuestsAnne HorganAnne Horgan is a partner at Cambridge Innovation Captial, a vent...
2023-10-0440 min
Invent: Life SciencesCell and gene therapy: how can we transform artisan treatments into mass-market cures?
Cell and gene therapies are extremely effective but their complex production processes, arduous supply chain, and life-critical logistics have prevented mass market adoption. Could digitisation and AI provide a breakthrough in manufacturing? Would more companies be willing to work together on standardisation to provide more flexibility?To find out, join us on Invent: Life Sciences, a podcast brought to you by technology and product development company TTP.This Week's GuestsMatthew DurdyMatthew Durdy is a biologist, investor, entrepreneur, and the Chief Executive of the Cell and Therapy...
2023-09-2737 min
Invent: Life SciencesmRNA: What did Covid teach us about drug development and distribution?
The Covid vaccination campaign demonstrated the effectiveness of mRNA-based treatments, so what else is this technology capable of? How can we improve our manufacturing and distribution to ensure treatments are available to those who need them most? To find out, join us on Invent: Life Sciences, a podcast brought to you by technology and product development company TTP.What is mRNA and what is the importance of mRNA treatments?Messenger ribonucleic acid, or mRNA for short, is a crucial molecule in the process of making proteins in our bodies. Proteins are essential f...
2023-09-2038 min
Invent: Life SciencesmRNA: What did Covid teach us about drug development and distribution?The Covid vaccination campaign demonstrated the effectiveness of mRNA-based treatments, so what else is this technology capable of? How can we improve our manufacturing and distribution to ensure treatments are available to those who need them most? To find out, join us on Invent: Life Sciences, a podcast brought to you by technology and product development company TTP.What is mRNA and what is the importance of mRNA treatments?Messenger ribonucleic acid, or mRNA for short, is a crucial molecule in the process of making proteins in our bodies. Proteins are essential f...
2023-09-2038 min
Invent: Life SciencesIntroducing Invent: Life Science Series 2
Invent: Life Sciences is back for Season 2! Invent: Life Sciences is a podcast about the future of life science and technology, hosted by Head of Cell Gene Therapy and Biotechnology at TTP, Stuart Lowe.Each episode, we’ll be joined by the top scientists, designers, business leaders, and academics working at the vanguard of this vital industry, to give you a behind-the-scenes look at the world of life science.In this new season, we now turn our focus onto advances driving forward the pharmaceutical sector, and how life scientists are dedicating their lives to...
2023-09-1302 min
Invent: Life SciencesIntroducing Invent: Health Series 2
Calling all Invent: Life Sciences Subscribers! While you wait for more episodes, make sure to subscribe to our sister podcast, Invent: Health, which has just begun its second season. Listen to the trailer here now! Invent: Health sees host Matt Parker explore the fascinating future of Health technologies. From new closed-loop systems for diabetes to sensing innovations in cardiac health, Matt will be taking a look behind the scenes of these technologies and meeting the people working to transform our collective health.Listen and subscribe from anywhere you get your podcasts, just search...
2023-02-1302 minInvent: Life SciencesLife Science Investment: How to invest in change
The pandemic drastically altered the landscape for investment flowing into the Life Sciences. Not only was there more money going in, but the market needs changed too, with an unprecedented focus on scaling sectors like testing and vaccines. But what did this mean for sectors which were not on the Covid front line? What happened to the trends that were in train before the pandemic hit? And what have we learnt from this experience that we can deploy in the face of the next global challenge? In this episode of Invent: Life Sciences, we look at the past, present...
2022-07-1944 minInvent: Life SciencesDiagnostics: How to do self-testing better
In the past decade, two events have sent shockwaves through the diagnostics industry: Theranos and Covid. The first, is a parable against faking it in an industry which rightly prizes accuracy and safety. The second was an almost insatiable demand for diagnostic testing kits, where the speed of information took second place to accuracy. Was Elizabeth Holmes onto something when she founded Theranos? What if her devices had been able to live up to the hype? And what reputation does self-testing now have in the diagnostics industry? In this episode of Invent Life Sciences, we take a look at...
2022-07-1248 minInvent: Life SciencesCell Therapy Manufacture: How to scale the manufacture of living drugs
Following our first episode of two focusing on cell and gene therapies, outlining the promise and practicalities of delivering curative therapies for chronic diseases, we now focus on cell therapies - so called ‘living drugs’ that are both as powerful as they are complex. Despite the impressive trials and life-changing impacts at the individual level, it’s still not possible to manufacture cell therapies at scales that could benefit a wider range of patients. So what are the differences between cell therapies and conventional medicines that make them so difficult to manufacture? Can we redeploy hardware and learnings from other...
2022-07-0546 minInvent: Life SciencesCell and Gene: How to make advanced therapies accessible
With therapies like cell and gene - amongst some of the most significant innovations in modern medicine - the idea of delivering cures for conditions from cancer to diabetes is now within the realm of scientific possibility. But will it be possible to provide the benefits of advanced therapies to all? Should we expect our healthcare systems to foot the bill? And can we re-imagine the development ecosystem to truly realise the potential of cell and gene therapies? In this first of two episodes about curing diseases and cell & gene therapies, we outline why we would want to treat...
2022-06-2847 minInvent: Life SciencesPreclinical drug development: How to simulate the human body
From cosmetics to medicines, animal testing is still widely mandated by regulators. Up to now, there have been few other ways to gather information about the potential human response to drug candidates. But are animal models still the most effective way to test drugs before we use them in humans? Or are these in vivo models outdated, ready to be replaced by innovative new in vitro models of drug development? In this episode of TTP Invent: Life Sciences, we take a look at some of the fascinating alternatives to animal testing in drug development, before assessing what new realms...
2022-06-2145 minInvent: Life SciencesAI: How to think differently
The hunt to discover new pharmaceuticals in areas of high unmet need can be complex, time-consuming, and costly. For every life saving therapy that hits the market, thousands and even millions of candidate drugs are rejected. A new technology could be changing the way we home in on the most effective therapy: AI. The use of AI in drug discovery - whether through mining research or in highlighting new experimental insight - is one of the most exciting new sectors in the field. But how does it really work? What are the conditions needed to implement it? Is it...
2022-06-1447 minInvent: Life SciencesSynthetic Biology: How to change your genes
What is the potential of synthetic biology? A chance to create life-changing therapies by speaking cells’ very own language? Or could rogue researchers use it to turn our own biology against us?Since synthetic biology emerged as a field, the aspirations for its benefits have been as speculative as the concerns about its misuse, making one of the most fascinating and divisive fields in life sciences. But what are its real applications today? And where is it going next? In this episode of Invent: Life Sciences we break down the history of this field, focusing in how br...
2022-06-0744 minInvent: Life SciencesGenomics: How to use a $100 genome
When the first human genome was sequenced, the whole project was estimated to have cost some 3 billion dollars and took over 13 years. Now, with massively parallel Next Generation Sequencing it is possible to sequence the human genome in less than 24 hours at a cost of under $1,000. With a rapid decline in sequencing costs, both the number of applications and the amount of data produced have boomed, driving a revolution in medicine. However, with the advent of new enabling technologies, what is next? What are the new and exciting technologies in the sequencing space which will be truly disruptive in...
2022-05-3146 minInvent: Life SciencesInvent: Life Sciences from TTP - Trailer
Following our thrilling first series of Invent all about health technology, the team at TTP are back with a new series all about the Life Sciences, to explore the impact of biology and technology on the life sciences sector.Life sciences are often referred to as the Fourth Industrial Revolution, deploying biology and technology in real-world applications to transform medicine, diagnostics, and ultimately our ability to engineer the building blocks of life itself. From delivering cures using cell therapies to harnessing the genetic code, from learning from the Theranos scandal to understanding disruption in drug discovery, Invent...
2022-05-2402 min