Guide to Cell Therapy GxP. Quality Standards in the Development of Cell-Based Medicines in Non-pharmaceutical Environments

Authors

Joaquim Vives R&D Director, XCELIA, Banc de Sang I Teixits, Barcelona, Spain. Dr. Vives has specialties in GLP/GMP implementation, the development of (stem) cell-based products for regenerative medicine, and design, execution and analysis of non-clinical studies. He was a post-doctoral Fellow at University of Edinburgh and moved to Stem Cell Sciences Ltd in the UK where he became Head of Research. Six years ago, he became Head of Preclinical Studies at XCELIA, a biopharmaceutical company formed from The Catalan Blood and Tissue Service (Banc de Sang i Teixits) devoted to the development of advanced therapy medicine. As the Quality manager at XCelia, Dr. Vives secured the facility as the first GLP-compliant laboratory in Spain dedicated to the development of advanced cell therapies. He is now Director of R&D, responsible for technology transfer of innovative experimental bioprocesses into GMP-compliant production environments. He also manages GLP test facilities and relationships with Health Regulatory Agencies among other compliance responsibilities. Gloria Carmona Quality Assessment and GMP facilities Manager, Andalusian Initiative for Advanced Therapies, Consejeria de Salud, Junta de Andalucia, Sevilla, Spain. Dr. Carmona is a Pharmacist with experience in management and training. She also holds a Masters Degree in Manufacturing of Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products and has worked across Europe in the biotechnology sector training on quality systems and good manufacturing practices in advanced therapies medicinal products. She has been a Quality Assessment Manager and GMP facilities Manager from the inception of the Andalusian Initiative for Advanced Therapies in October 2008. Previously, she worked worked as Quality Assessment and Accreditation Manager in the Andalusian Program for Cell Therapy and Regenerative Medicine. She has also worked as a Quality Assurance Technician at Cellerix an international biotech headquartered in Belgium, Cambridge, and Madrid and Clinical Documentation Technician in Pfizer.