About the Karolinska ATMP Center
The Karolinska ATMP Center, a collaboration between Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital, is a leading ATMP Center in Europe with research, production and treatment under one roof. The center has high ambitions to strengthen and deepen collaboration with public actors and pharmaceutical companies.
Background
The major advances in research and development of advanced therapies in the ATMP field have the potential to treat and cure diseases in a way that has not been possible with traditional drugs and treatments. We are already seeing examples of gene therapy drastically improving the survival of patients suffering from certain types of cancer.
The collaboration between KI and Karolinska University Hospital on cell and gene therapies has a long tradition:
In 1975, the Cell Therapy and Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation (CAST) unit was established, which is JACIE-accredited and produces, among other things, the cells needed by leukemia patients after radiotherapy. CAST performed Sweden's first standard treatment with CAR-T cells in 2019. Today, CAST offers several ATMP drugs for standard treatment and clinical trials.
The Vecura GMP unit at the Karolinska Center for Cell Therapy (KCC) in Huddinge, which today consists of 13 clean rooms, produced Sweden's first gene therapy drug for clinical trials in 1997 and the first CAR-T cells to enter clinical trials in Europe in 2014. Another GMP facility with a special focus on immunotherapy is located at the Karolinska Comprehensive Cancer Center (KCCC) in Solna.
In 2019, the first pre-GMP unit in the Nordic region was inaugurated at Karolinska Institutet Campus Flemingsberg, with five clean rooms. The pre-GMP unit is an important bridge between research laboratories and Vecura and has been instrumental in the development of two therapeutic products currently undergoing clinical trials.
Mission statement
The Karolinska ATMP Center aims to consolidate all activities in advanced therapeutics at Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital to strengthen the development and implementation of cell, gene and tissue therapies.
Steering group
Olof Akre, R&D Director, Karolinska University Hospital.
Mathias Axelsson, Head of Medical Diagnostics Karolinska (MDK), Karolinska University Hospital.
Martin Bergö, Vice President, Karolinska Institutet.
Jonas Fuxe, Head of the Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet.
Patrik Rossi, Acting CEO, Karolinska University Hospital.
Matti Sällberg, Dean KI South, Karolinska Institutet.
Coordinator: Ewa Ellis, Associate Professor at Karolinska Institutet and ATMP Coordinator, Karolinska University Hospital.
Management group
R&D
Samir EL Andaloussi, operations manager, Karolinska Institutet.
Rula Zain-Luqman, deputy, Karolinska University Hospital.
Production
Pontus Blomberg, operations manager, Karolinska University Hospital.
Gustaf Ahlén, deputy, Karolinska Institutet.
Clinical application – care and treatment
Stephan Mielke, operations manager, Karolinska Institute.
Teng Wang, deputy, Karolinska University Hospital.
Acting Director Karolinska ATMP center
Matti Sällberg, Dean KI South, Karolinska Institutet.
ATMP Coordinator
Ewa Ellis, coordinator