Innovation District: Manufacturing Lags Behind Breakthroughs in CAR-T

Manufacturing technologies lag behind breakthroughs in CAR-T cancer treatment Drug companies around the country are banking on the cutting-edge cancer treatments known as CAR-T, but many manufacturing processes are holding back the treatment from reaching the market. Catherine Bollard, M.B.Ch.B., M.D., director of the Center for Cancer and Immunology Research at Children’s National Health System, was featured in a recent Bloomberg Law article stating that academics, industry participants and medical product regulators are trying to catch up with the technology and determine the best standards for developing these products. Although this is an exciting and positive time in the field of oncology, it also presents a big learning curve.

Schistosoma molecule downregulates proinflammatory pathways A therapy derived from the eggs of the parasitic Schistosoma helps to protect against one of chemotherapy’s debilitating side effects by significantly downregulating major proinflammatory pathways, reducing inflammation. Roger J. Packer, M.D., presents keynote address for BRAIN 2019 Invited as the 2019 Otto Lien Da Wong visiting professor in neuro-oncology, Roger J. Packer, M.D., presented a keynote address titled “Advances in Pediatric Brain Tumors” at BRAIN 2019 in Hong Kong.  Breakthrough device objectively measures pain Pediatric anesthesiologist Julia C. Finkel, M.D., has developed AlgometRx, a first-of-its-kind handheld device that measures a patient’s pupillary response and, using proprietary algorithms, provides a diagnostic measurement of pain intensity, and type. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta.) Leapfrog Group names Children’s National a “Top Children’s Hospital” Children’s National was named a 2018 “Top Children’s Hospital” by The Leapfrog Group, an independent watchdog organization. The highest performing hospitals on the Leapfrog Hospital Survey are recognized annually for this prestigious award.

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