Episode: 3 - Cell and Gene Therapy: Managing the ‘Build or Buy’ Decision

Evaluating Biopharma

Dave Backer, founder of DB Biologics and former chief commercial officer at Oxford Biomedica, speaks with moderator Ben Locwin, vice president of project solutions at Black Diamond Networks, about the complex business and technological decisions companies face when navigating supply chain issues in the cell and gene therapy (CGT) market. Today’s companies must decide whether to build new facilities and produce their own supplies, continue buying from CDMOs despite excessive lead times, or choose a hybrid model.

In this episode, Backer outlines the critical factors every CGT company should consider before venturing into manufacturing. He talks about why companies must think of plasma, lentivirus, and autologous cell therapy lines as separate entities, the value of developing solid partnerships with CDMOs, and how a hybrid model can protect intellectual property while still maximizing productivity.
Links from this episode:
Evaluating Biopharma
Oxford Biomedica
Black Diamond Networks

Evaluating Biopharma boiler: Evaluating Biopharma taps into the insight and experience of biopharmaceutical leaders so today’s decision makers can leverage their knowledge, learn from their successes, and avoid repeating similar mistakes. This series offers a new guest and moderator with each episode and aims to equip executives and science leaders with the necessary information to make better business and process decisions. The Evaluating Biopharma podcast is a reproduction of content originally presented at recent Evaluating Biopharma digital and educational networking events.