Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies Merges Therapeutics Units to Enhance Patient Care Across Treatment Journey

New Global Therapy Innovations business unit, led by Veerle d’Haenens, aims to unify therapeutic apheresis and cell and gene therapy expertise to expand therapeutic possibilities

Lakewood, Colorado, November 12, 2024 – Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies (Terumo BCT), a medical technology company, today announced the launch of its new Global Therapy Innovations business unit, designed to integrate disease expertise based on the many ways the company interacts across the patient journey, from cell collections to manufacturing and delivering therapies. Led by Veerle d'Haenens, General Manager, Global Therapy Innovations, it aims to advance standards of care across the patient journey and to develop a coordinated system of modalities within each disease area, for example, continuing work on both therapeutic apheresis and cell and gene therapy work to treat sickle cell disease (SCD).

Global Therapy Innovations will streamline internal and external knowledge sharing to optimize interactions with patients and customers who view their experiences with the company’s solutions and therapies as one journey. A key enabler will be leveraging data from multiple platforms, including the Spectra Optia™ Apheresis System, Quantum Flex™ Cell Expansion System, and FINIA™ Fill and Finish System. These systems are tools used in therapies such as red blood cell exchange, an apheresis procedure used to treat sickle cell disease, and for the development, manufacturing and deployment of cutting-edge cell and gene therapies (CGTs).

“We are now ideally situated as a singular partner, with a holistic view to make connections among cell quality, process standardization and cell collection access, as well as to understand the impact of these factors further downstream in the cell therapy manufacturing process,” said d’Haenens. “This will enable us to bring together a variety of stakeholders to help unlock patient access to therapies.”

Terumo BCT has long played a significant role in blood-based therapies through its leadership in therapeutic apheresis. For example, Spectra Optia is used throughout the care continuum in SCD —as a preventive therapy for vaso-occlusive crisis using automated red blood cell exchange, for collecting stem cells for transplant, and for optimizing stem cell collection for gene therapy manufacturing. The company collaborates with experts to address the specific challenges of apheresis in SCD patients and shares its solutions with CGT developers through its unique industry training programs, connecting the dots between initial cell material quality and final cell therapy quality.

“Partnering with Terumo BCT to develop best practices for apheresis in SCD patients has been instrumental in overcoming the unique challenges these patients face,” said Dan Leberfinger, BS, MT, HP (ASCP), Director, Apheresis Operations, bluebird bio. “Our combined insights from both the therapeutic apheresis and cell and gene therapy domains are making strides in optimizing the entire treatment journey — from cell collection to the delivery of life-changing therapies.”

The Global Therapy Innovations team will concentrate its efforts in improving access to therapies where CGTs are already available, including immuno-oncology, and in areas with high unmet need like SCD, Alzheimer’s disease, acute liver failure, and sepsis. It will also focus on regions where established therapeutic techniques are underutilized.

^{*Spectra Optia™, Quantum Flex™, and FINIA™ are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Terumo BCT, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. See TerumoBCT.com/trademarks for details.}