Report of the RSNN SIG Advanced Therapies and FAST workshop now available

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Report of the RSNN SIG Advanced Therapies and FAST workshop now available

“Participants of the multistakeholder workshop expressed a clear need for a national ATMP network.”

Mid 2024, a multistakeholder workshop was organised by the Regulatory Science Network Netherlands (RSNN) special interest group (SIG) Advanced Therapies and FAST. The aim of the meeting was to investigate the need for a national ATMP (advanced therapy medicinal products) network in the Netherlands, including objectives, activities, relevant stakeholders, and governance. The full report of the workshop is now available.

Click here to download the report (pdf file).

Formation of a national ATMP network

The report summarizes the workshop’s discussions, which led to its general conclusion that there is a clear need for a national ATMP network in the Netherlands. The network’s primary functions should include the following:

  1. Maintaining an overview of existing initiatives and information.
  2. Acting as a knowledge-exchange platform that connects stakeholders.
  3. Facilitating collaboration between stakeholders on specific topics.

 

Importantly, alignment with existing ATMP-related initiatives in the Netherlands should be carefully considered to avoid overlap and ambiguity of roles and responsibilities. Moreover, representing the Dutch ATMP field internationally offers a valuable opportunity. The final part of the report lists concrete next steps to be taken to establish the desired network.

Lourens Bloem (Utrecht University, co-chair RSNN SIG Advanced Therapies): “It’s great to have this report of the workshop, reflecting the discussions and the expressed need for a national ATMP network by a broad representation of stakeholders. Moreover, it gives a concise overview of next steps that need to be taken to make this network a reality.”

Benien Vingerhoed (FAST): “FAST is excited to act upon the clear need for a national ATMP network expressed during the workshop. By initiating a collaborative hub, we aim to unite stakeholders, foster trust, and align efforts across the Dutch ATMP field. Building on the success of initiatives like InFECT-NL and RARE-NL, FAST is committed to strengthening collaboration and ensuring sustainable patient access to advanced therapies.”

Sophie Huiskes-Berends (Lygature, RSNN): “The RSNN, as a multistakeholder platform that facilitates knowledge exchange about the regulatory system, welcomes further collaboration in the Dutch ATMP landscape to catalyse the development of new treatments that address unmet patient needs. As the workshop we jointly organized with FAST shows: we have a strong platform to build on!”

Next steps

The RSNN and its SIG Advanced Therapies will continue to connect stakeholders within the ATMP field and focus on putting relevant issues on policy and research agendas and bringing together experts to explore and advance solutions to further improve the regulatory systems for medicines, ultimately benefiting patients. The RSNN looks forward to contributing to the development of a national ATMP network (‘ATMP-NL’) and assist in establishing its complementary and synergistic role within the Dutch life sciences landscape.

Based on the workshop outcomes, FAST will take the lead in establishing the foundation for ATMP-NL. As a neutral party in the ATMP landscape, FAST will coordinate the formation of a broadly representative working group to define the mission, vision, and governance of the network. This group will ensure alignment with existing initiatives, avoiding duplication and fostering collaboration. FAST plans to launch the ATMP-NL network at a national multistakeholder meeting and establish connections with international initiatives to promote collaboration and integrate lessons learned from abroad to strengthen de Dutch ecosystem.

Want to stay up to date on ATMP-NL developments? Then sign up for FAST’s newsletter or visit the website www.fast.nl

Mike Broeders

Advisor
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