Accelerating cancer therapies development: the importance of platform, process, and partnership

Cell & Gene Therapy Insights 2023; 9(3), 343–351

DOI: 10.18609/cgti.2023.054

Published: 22 April 2023
Expert Roundtable
William Swaney, John (Yoshi) Shyu, Nikhil Tyagi

Charlotte Barker, Editor, BioInsights, speaks to William Swaney, President of Manufacturing, Expression Therapeutics, John (Yoshi) Shyu, Director, Global Scientific Applications, Corning Life Sciences, and Nikhil Tyagi, Director of Cell Therapy Process Development, Center for Breakthrough Medicines

William Swaney is the President of Expression Manufacturing LLC. He recently oversaw the buildout of Expression’s in-house manufacturing cell and gene therapy manufacturing facility. He has three decades of experience in biopharmaceutical manufacturing of cell and viral vector products for human clinical trial use and has successfully overseen the manufacture of more than 70 GMP runs for both academic and commercial clients. His professional focus is the development of improved & scalable manufacturing platforms for different viral vectors and the manufacture of individualized patient-specific products for the treatment of cancer.

John (Yoshi) Shyu is Director, Global Scientific Applications & Technical Support at Corning Life Sciences. Dr. Shyu and his team support product development, application, and market adoption, especially in the fields of bioprocessing, cell and regenerative therapy, viral vector/vaccine production, and 3D cell culture. Since joining Corning Life Sciences in 2008, Dr. Shyu has focused on helping customers overcome a broad range of challenges in research, development, and production, with particular emphasis on scale-up/out for cell and gene therapy and vaccine production, and advanced 3D cell culture.

Nikhil Tyagi is the Director of Cell Therapy Process Development at the Center for Breakthrough Medicines in Pennsylvania, responsible for overseeing all cell therapy programs and initiatives. He has extensive experience in the field of cancer biology and cell therapy, has published numerous articles in leading scientific journals, and is known for his ability to bring together multidisciplinary teams to drive breakthrough innovations. Under his leadership, the Center for Breakthrough Medicines has become a trusted partner for clients looking to develop their cell therapy products, providing expert guidance and support throughout the entire process.