Regulatory Aspects of Gene Therapy: The Regulatory Life Cycle

Najat Bouchkouj1, Megha Kaushal1, Poornima Sharma1

  • 1Office of Tissue and Advanced Therapies, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 10903 New Hampshire Avenue, WO71, Silver Spring, MD 20993, USA.

Insights

Gene and gene-modified cell therapies offer hope for pediatric diseases but face complex development and regulatory hurdles. The Food and Drug Administration provides resources to support product development through approval.

Area of Science:

  • Biotechnology
  • Pediatric Medicine
  • Regulatory Science

Background:

  • Gene and gene-modified cellular therapies show significant promise for treating pediatric diseases.
  • Developing these advanced therapies is complex, involving rigorous regulatory pathways.
  • Navigating the regulatory landscape is crucial for successful product development.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To highlight the product development life cycle for gene and gene-modified cellular therapies.
  • To identify and explain available resources and programs offered by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
  • To provide guidance for navigating the regulatory pathway for pediatric therapeutic products.

Main Methods:

  • Review of the product development continuum from early research to post-approval.
  • Analysis of FDA's programmatic support mechanisms and regulatory guidance.
  • Identification of key stages and considerations in the regulatory submission process.

Main Results:

  • Gene therapies for pediatric conditions require a structured approach to development.
  • The FDA offers various programs and resources to facilitate the approval process.
  • Understanding the regulatory lifecycle is essential for sponsors.

Conclusions:

  • Programmatic support from the FDA can significantly aid the development of gene and gene-modified cellular therapies.
  • Early engagement with regulatory agencies is recommended.
  • Successful navigation of the regulatory pathway is key to bringing innovative pediatric treatments to patients.

Related Concept Videos

Gene Therapy00:59

Gene Therapy

Gene therapy is a technique where a gene is inserted into a person’s cells to prevent or treat a serious disease. The added gene may be a healthy version of the gene that is mutated in the patient, or it could be a different gene that inactivates or compensates for the patient’s disease-causing gene. For example, in patients with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) due to a mutation in the gene for the enzyme adenosine deaminase, a functioning version of the gene can be...
25.8K
Microorganisms in Medicine and Therapeutics01:29

Microorganisms in Medicine and Therapeutics

Microorganisms play a fundamental role in vaccine development, gene therapy, and therapeutic production. Their biological properties are harnessed to advance medicine and public health. Beyond immunization, microorganisms contribute to gut health, antibiotic synthesis, and genetic disease treatment.Live Attenuated and Inactivated VaccinesLive attenuated vaccines, such as the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, utilize weakened forms of pathogens to closely resemble natural infections.
309
What is Genetic Engineering?00:49

What is Genetic Engineering?

Overview
75.4K
Regulation of Expression at Multiple Steps01:23

Regulation of Expression at Multiple Steps

The gene expression in cells is regulated at different stages: (i) transcription, (ii) RNA processing, (iii) RNA localization, and (iv) translation. Transcriptional regulation is mediated by regulatory proteins such as transcription factors, activators, or repressors—these control gene expression by initiating or inhibiting the transcription of genes. Once a precursor or pre-mRNA is produced, it undergoes post-transcriptional modification, including 5' capping, splicing, and the...
993
Regulation of Expression Occurs at Multiple Steps02:24

Regulation of Expression Occurs at Multiple Steps

Gene expression can be regulated at almost every step from gene to protein. Transcription is the step that is most commonly regulated. This involves the binding of proteins to short regulatory sequences on the DNA. This association can either promote or inhibit the transcription of a gene associated with the respective sequence.
Transcription results in the generation of precursor (pre-mRNA) that consists of both exons and introns, which needs further processing before being translated to a...
23.1K
Structure of a Gene01:30

Structure of a Gene

A gene is the fundamental unit of heredity. Every individual has two copies of each gene, one inherited from each parent. Although most people contain the same genes, there is a small fraction that is slightly different amongst people. A gene with a small difference in its sequence of DNA bases forms different alleles, contributing to different phenotypes.
However, only 1% of the DNA is composed of genes that encode proteins; the rest, 99% is non-coding DNA. This non-coding DNA performs...
12.9K