Early-phase ATMP clinical trials see promising growth

Clinical trials for advanced therapies in the UK witnessed major growth in 2024, Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult’s (CGT Catapult) has reported. Notably, the UK’s sector saw a significant increase in Phase I ATMP clinical trials between 2023 and 2024, the number almost doubling (24 to 41, respectively). This represents a 70 percent growth in early-stage clinical trials.

These findings are based on the organisation’s recent ‘UK 2024 Advanced Therapy Medicinal Product (ATMP) Clinical Trials Database’ report.

UK ATMP clinical trials in 2024

Other data highlights include:

• The number of ongoing advanced therapy clinical trials in the UK have increased by seven percent compared to 2023
• The majority of ATMP clinical trials in 2024 involved genetically modified therapies
• Oncology continues to hold the dominant area for therapies under investigation. Additionally, treatments investigating metabolic indications were shown to have grown from eight percent in 2023 to 13 percent in 2024.

Furthermore, the research found that there were 27 new or initiated trials in 2024. Comparatively, this number was 13 in 2023, indicating a “growing pipeline of products”, according to the report.

Overall, the data demonstrates “the UK’s continued strength” in advanced therapy clinical trials, making the UK an attractive place to develop these treatments, as well as creating the “skills, capabilities and environment” to enable patients better access to these drugs, Matthew Durdy, Chief Executive of the CGT Catapult remarked.

Strengthening the UK’s cell and gene therapy sector

These findings from the CGT Catapult demonstrate the UK ATMP sector’s continuing progress in recent years. For instance, in 2024, three industry partners agreed to collaborate to advance gene therapy production. The two-year project involves development an intensified perfusion process for manufacturing adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors.

Following its announcement, CGT Catapult’s Chief Executive explained: “AAV is a crucial element in many gene therapies yet there are currently no clinically approved AAV products manufactured using perfusion technologies.”

He added that the initiative “aims to help make gene therapies more affordable to healthcare systems and ensure that sufficient volumes of AAV can be produced to meet an increase in demand”.