Launching today: eLearning programme to support advanced therapy training in the NHS, UK universities and government bodies

Launching today: eLearning programme to support advanced therapy training in the NHS, UK universities and government bodies

UK, 19th July 2021 – The Advanced Therapy Treatment Centre (ATTC) network, London Advanced Therapies (LAT) and the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult (CGTC), in partnership with Health Education England elearning for healthcare, have developed a new eLearning programme targeted at healthcare and academic professionals to support their learning on both the fundamentals and clinical adoption of advanced therapies.

This series of eLearning sessions is designed to give the learner a core understanding of advanced therapies, how they function in the body, and the steps involved in delivering these medicines. The modules take the learner from the basics of cell and gene therapy, through to a more in-depth look at products currently being delivered through both commissioned treatments and clinical trials.

Advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs) are medicines for human use, which use genes, tissues or cells to offer ground-breaking new opportunities for the treatment of disease and injury. These therapies are potentially curative and can offer the promise of treating and altering the course of diseases which cannot be addressed adequately by existing pharmaceuticals, offering a lifeline to some patients who may have exhausted all other treatment options.

Learners will also be introduced to the unique challenges of bringing these pioneering advanced therapy treatments to patients, including the often nuanced logistical and handling requirements that can present unique challenges within usual standard of care.

The sessions, which can be mixed and matched according to the learner’s needs, comprise the following topics:

• Introduction to advanced therapy medicinal products
• In vivo gene therapies
• Immune effector cell therapy
• Focus on CAR-T cell therapy
• The logistics of ATMPs in hospitals
• Safe use of low temperature transport vessels

For more information and to access the sessions, visit the programme page https://www.e-lfh.org.uk/programmes/advanced-therapy-medicinal-products/

Professor Uta Griesenbach, Professor of Molecular Medicine, Imperial College London and Chair of the pan-UK ATMP Training Group commented:

“As more ATMPs enter late-stage clinical trials, we identified a training need for healthcare professionals to ensure fast development of ATMPs and smooth transition into the NHS. This is a fantastic example of collaboration between NHS, academia and industry, coordinated by CGTC to produce valuable training for UK personnel and future-proof the healthcare system. Access to these sessions sets the UK apart from other countries by making high quality, standardised training available to all staff involved in the delivery of these life-changing medicines.”

Professor Fiona Thistlethwaite, iMATCH Director, Medical Oncology Consultant and Christie NHIR CRF Director commented:

“Providing comprehensive training for staff to understand the complex requirements of these new therapies is essential as we scale up our delivery of ATMPs across multiple patient groups. With input from recognised ATMP experts from the ATTC network and NHS partners across the UK, staff can now use the information provided to support their continued professional development. This tailored online learning approach also allows our staff to build their knowledge in a way that fits around their schedules.”

About Health Education England elearning for healthcare

Health Education England elearning for healthcare (HEE elfh) works in partnership with the NHS, third sector and professional bodies to support patient care by developing eLearning resources to educate and train the health and care workforce. The eLearning programmes cover content from anaesthesia to dentistry, end of life care to mental health, and population wellbeing to sepsis.  Users can access statutory and mandatory training, obtain certificates and complete eLearning sessions relevant to their role. For more information about elfh visit www.e-lfh.org.uk    

About the Advanced Therapy Treatment Centre (ATTC) network

The Advanced Therapy Treatment Centre network was set up to address barriers to the clinical adoption of advanced therapies by increasing the capacity and capability of the NHS to efficiently deliver the growing number of these new medicines. The network is coordinated by the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult and comprises partners in industry, academia and healthcare providers and three regional UK centres: Innovate Manchester Advanced Therapy Centre Hub (iMATCH); the Midlands-Wales Advanced Therapy Treatment Centre (MW-ATTC, comprising Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, Cardiff, Leicester, Nottingham and Swansea); the Northern Alliance Advanced Therapies Treatment Centre (NA-ATTC, comprising Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds and Newcastle). The network was established through funding from the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund, and the fund is delivered by UK Research and Innovation. For more information please visit theattcnetwork.co.uk.

About London Advanced Therapies

London Advanced Therapies (LAT) brings together the London scientific community working in the field of Cell and gene based therapies. Funded by research England and led by King’s College London, Imperial College London and University College London, LAT aims to catalyse London’s capabilities and outputs in the area of advanced therapies, through fostering collaborative work, facilitating commercial partnerships and creating a microclimate for innovation. Established in 2019, LAT is rapidly expanding, working with colleagues throughout the UK to establish a nationwide Network of Networks.

About the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult

The Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult was established as an independent centre of excellence to advance the growth of the UK cell and gene therapy industry, by bridging the gap between scientific research and full-scale commercialisation. With more than 350 employees focusing on cell and gene therapy technologies, it works with partners in academia and industry to ensure these life-changing therapies can be developed for use in health services throughout the world. It offers leading-edge capability, technology and innovation to enable companies to take products into clinical trials and provide clinical, process development, manufacturing, regulatory, health economics and market access expertise. Its aim is to make the UK the most compelling and logical choice for UK and international partners to develop and commercialise these advanced therapies. The Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult works with Innovate UK. For more information please visit ct.catapult.org.uk or visit http://www.gov.uk/innovate-uk.

About the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund

This project has been funded by the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund, part of the government’s modern Industrial Strategy. The fund is delivered by UK Research and Innovation.