Int J Stem Cells.  2023 Feb;16(1):16-26. 10.15283/ijsc21189.

Establishing Rationale for the Clinical Development of Cell Therapy Products: Consensus between Risk and Benefit

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea
  • 2Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, The Catholic University of Korea Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, Seoul, Korea
  • 3Department of Preventive Medicine, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea

Abstract

Despite long-term research achievements, the development of cell therapy (CT) products remains challenging. This is because the risks experienced by the subject and therapeutic effects in the clinical trial stage are unclear due to the various uncertainties of CT when administered to humans. Nevertheless, as autologous cell products for systemic administration have recently been approved for marketing, CT product development is accelerating, particularly in the field of unmet medical needs. The human experience of CT remains insufficient compared with other classes of pharmaceuticals, while there are countless products for clinical development. Therefore, for many sponsors, understanding the rationale of human application of an investigational product based on the consensus and improving the ability to apply it appropriately for CT are necessary. Thus, defining the level of evidence for safety and efficacy fundamentally required for initiating the clinical development and preparing it using a reliable method for CT. Furthermore, the expertise should be strengthened in the design of the first-in-human trial, such as the starting dose and dose-escalation plan, based on a sufficiently acceptable rationale. Cultivating development professionals with these skills will increase the opportunity for more candidates to enter the clinical development phase.

Keyword

Cell- and tissue-based therapy; Drug development; Drug approval; Stem cells

Figure

  • Fig. 1 Key questions and supporting evidence in preclinical drug develo-pment.


Reference

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