The State of Cell and Gene Therapies? Some Indications of Better Times Ahead

Reports from a major industry conference

Tim Hunt, CEO of Alliance for Regenerative Medicine, at last week’s meeting. Photo by Greg Slabodkin/BioSpace

Two thousand members of the cell and gene therapy community, including the president of California’s multibillion-dollar research program, gathered in Phoenix last week to peddle their wares and discuss the state of the industry. 

The occasion was the “Meeting on the Mesa,” sponsored by the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (ARM), which said that recovery from some not-so-good times “might be in the offing.” 

Writing on BioSpace, Greg Slabodkin reported that ARM’s data show that cell and gene therapy “investments reached $10.9 billion in the first half of this year—outpacing 2019’s $9.8 billion total—but far below the pandemic peak.

“While the cell and gene therapy industry has been hit with investment headwinds since the high levels seen in 2020 and 2021, there are indications that a recovery might be in the offing, according to data presented” by ARM, an industry group.

“Investments of $10.9 billion in the first half of this year are already ahead of 2019’s $9.8 billion total,” Slabodkin wrote.

Jonathan Thomas, president and CEO of the state stem cell agency (the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine -- CIRM), said in an email,