Despite 330 Products in the Pipeline, Stem Cell Therapies Still Face Commercial Challenges

Tuesday 26 July 2016, Amsterdam

While steady progress in clinical research and increasing evidence of product effectiveness are significant driving factors for growth in the stem cell therapies market, a number of obstacles remain before they become widely commercially viable.

The company’s latest report* states that the stem cell therapy pipeline as a whole is relatively large, with 330 products in active development across all stages. Indeed, R&D within the sector is gaining momentum as candidates move into clinical development, and the results of clinical studies become apparent, clarifying the therapeutic potential of stem cell therapy.

Rodrigo Gutierrez Gamboa, Managing Analyst, states: “The stem cell space provides therapeutic potential in indications where current pharmacological and surgical treatment options are ineffective. However, there remains a significant divide between the number of stem cell therapeutic applications currently available for patients and the number of research programs investigating the wider medical applications of stem-cell-based therapies.

“Stem cells are currently being used for a modest variety of indications, with skin and blood stem cells representing the majority of therapeutic uses. The stem cell industry is pursuing a broad base of therapeutic applications, and this is evident in the R&D efforts observed in the sector, as over 15 therapy areas are being targeted by the stem cell industry in over 1,000 clinical trials.”

Despite promising recent developments within the field of stem cell technology, converting its scientific potential into real therapeutic value still represents a significant challenge.

Gutierrez Gamboa concludes: “Manufacturers will need to adopt novel strategies to realize their full potential. It is likely that manufacturing methodologies will use partially or fully automated systems in future approaches, in order to improve yield, purity and cost-effectiveness.

“There have been good strides made by stem cell manufacturing companies, such as those made by Cynata Therapeutics, which is implementing innovative manufacturing methods to generate robust, consistent and inexpensive stem cells. Such companies are pointing towards a promising outlook in this regard.”

*Stem Cell Therapies - Global Trends in the Competitive, Technological and R&D Landscape

This report provides an assessment of the current trends in the global stem cell therapy sector, with a particular focus on the technological, competitive, and R&D landscape. It includes a targeted industry survey of experts and key opinion leaders in the stem cell therapies field, as well as extensive secondary research.