The right time to move to an automated manufacturing system like the Cocoon platform: the when, the why, and the how

Matthew Hewitt is currently the Head of Clinical Development for the Personalized Medicine (PerMed) Initiative within Lonza. The PerMed Initiative has a cell and gene therapy focus working to alleviate pain-points in commercializing cell therapies. One of Matt’s responsibilities is the Cocoon Platform, a closed, automated, scalable cell therapy manufacturing platform which relieves many cell therapy manufacturing difficulties.

Prior to joining Lonza, Matt led the Tumor Immunology and Microenvironment program at Bellicum Pharmaceuticals which concentrated on improving cell therapy efficacy in solid tumors. Matt led the Immunology group at the University of Pennsylvania’s Gene Therapy Program under Dr. James Wilson managing numerous AAV gene therapy programs. Matt received his Ph.D. in Biophysics & Physiology from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and completed his post-doctoral fellowship at Johns Hopkins University.

Ms. Rill is currently serving as the Chief Technical Officer of Triumvira Immunologics, USA, Inc. She has extensive manufacturing, clinical and translational research laboratory experience in cell and gene therapy, monoclonal antibody production, and protein production. She has setup and managed core development laboratories covering a large range of testing services to facilitate research, core drug development activities as well as manufacturing and quality control laboratories. With her expertise in the areas of laboratory construction, project management, development and operations, cGMP, cGTP, and GLP regulatory compliance, quality control/assurance system, database development,  and clinical standards of practice, she has designed and qualified cGMP Cell & Gene Therapy Laboratories, cGMP Vector Production facilities, core service laboratories, and Translational Research Labs. 

Ms. Rill has previously held the positions of Vice President of Manufacturing for Cell Medica, Chief Development Officer for Opexa Therapeutics, Laboratory Director of Cell and Gene Therapy, Translational Research Laboratories for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine; Associate Scientist/Lab Manager of the Bone Marrow Transplant Research Laboratory, and the GMP Cell & Gene Therapy Laboratories, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital; Education Coordinator and Clinical Instructor, Department of Clinical Laboratory, LeBonheur Children's Medical Center and University of Tennessee Center for the Health Sciences.