ISCT revises cell and gene therapy industry forecast following approval of Novartis' Kymriah/CTL019

The Canada-based International Society for Cellular Therapy (ISCT), the global professional society of clinicians, researchers, regulatory specialists, technologists and industry partners in the cell therapy sector, announced that it has revised its forecast for the CAR-T and cell therapy industries.

The forecast follows this week’s US approval by the US Food and Drug Administration of the CAR-T cell therapy CTL019 - Kymriah (tisagenlecleucel), from Swiss pharma giant Novartis (NOVN: VX). It encompasses the expected cross-industry reaction to the approval, and envisions the next stages in the development of cell therapies and the industry.

The Novartis cell therapy FDA approval will result in the first gene modified cell therapy in the USA, and the first CAR-T therapy approved internationally. The ISCT believes this is a considerable milestone reached by the cell therapy sector and direct evidence of the commercializing potential of CAR-T therapies. The approval demonstrates to all investors and public sector and government grant and funding providers that cell therapy is now a sector that has emerged today, not evolving in the future.