CREATIC Shared Its Experience in Translating ATMPs into Clinical Practice at CTGCT Days 2025 in Ljubljana

For CREATIC, the meeting offered an important opportunity to present both the progress of our centre and our broader mission: helping ensure that advanced therapies become accessible to patients. It also created space for valuable exchange with colleagues in Slovenia who are building their own pathway in ATMP development and translation.

Throughout the conference, participants shared inspiring examples of how academic and clinical centres can move from basic research towards preclinical development, manufacturing, and ultimately clinical application. The discussions clearly showed that gene and cell therapies are no longer viewed only as a future ambition, but increasingly as a clinical reality shaped by strong infrastructure, regulatory readiness, and international collaboration.

CREATIC contributed to the programme in several key sections.

Regina Demlová presented the CREATIC Centre of Excellence and highlighted not only the development of our GMP facility, but also the wider vision behind the centre. Her contribution focused on the journey of advanced therapies from research and product development through clinical trials and onwards to patients, especially in the field of paediatric and rare diseases. CTGCT’s post-conference summary specifically highlighted her lecture as an example of how academic centres can bridge research and patient care in areas often overlooked by industry.

Lenka Součková joined the round table on regulatory and clinical pathways for gene and cell therapies, where she emphasized the importance of robust research infrastructure for international clinical studies. In this context, she underlined the strong links between CZECRIN, ECRIN and EUPATI, and the essential role these networks play in supporting high-quality, cross-border clinical research.

Zora Čechová participated in the discussion on innovation, translation and commercialization, focusing on how ATMPs developed in academic and non-commercial settings can be brought closer to patients. Her contribution addressed not only the translational pathway itself, but also the practical questions of pricing, reimbursement, and long-term accessibility.

We were grateful for the recognition from colleagues for the progress CREATIC has already made on its path from science to clinical practice. Meetings such as CTGCT Days reaffirm the importance of building strong European connections between researchers, clinicians, regulators, and infrastructure partners who share the same ambition: to accelerate the safe and meaningful delivery of advanced therapies to patients. The 2025 edition brought together more than 130 participants from 40 institutions across 13 countries, underlining the growing momentum of this field in Europe.