How the Heck to Find Your Way Around the Cell and Gene Therapy Space

We know that the cell and gene therapy space is unique – and can be uniquely challenging to navigate, with specific quirks and nuances.

Building on a conversation we had with industry experts in a recent webinar (you can see the whole conversation here), our team at Zymewire realized that we could – alongside our partners – use our platform to develop a comprehensive map to the cell and gene therapy space.

We believe getting life-saving cell and gene therapy products to patients is already complicated enough –  and that figuring out where different companies fit within the sector (and how to communicate with them effectively) should be the easy part.

So we built a map that we hope you find useful. Whether you provide services like contract research, contract manufacturing, or clinical research – or are just generally interested in understanding how the space is organized, this tool is designed to help you sort different companies (or clients or prospects) into the appropriate mental boxes.

To use the map, follow the instructions below and download the “how-to” guide below:

1. Go to the Cell & Gene Therapy Map landing page here.
2. Click the “See interactive map below” button, or scroll down the page to the map.
3. In the bottom left-hand corner, you can also open the map in Whimsical, an online tool for creating this type of map.
4. The zoom controls are in the lower right-hand corner for either the landing page or through Whimsical. For those on touch devices, we recommend using these controls instead of the pinch-to-scale technique.
5. Zoom into the Start location and begin by answering questions as you go.
6. The map is a decision tree; answer “Yes” to a question and go one way; answer “No” and go a different way…ultimately finding companies or studies along the way.
7. You can scroll or use the hand tool to move through the map.
8. As you follow the map, specific companies will be highlighted based on your answers to specific criteria.
   
   

We hope you'll find this resource helpful in your learning about the sector. 

If you’re interested in other resources, we invite you to check out our full library on the cell and gene therapy space, including:

1. Interactive Mapping Tool: “How the Heck to Find Your Way Around the Cell and Gene Therapy Space,” the interactive mapping tool described in this post
2. Downloadable Resource: Downloadable resource to guide you through the interactive mapping tool effectively
3. Webinar Recording: Recording of a webinar with industry experts on how to partner with cell and gene therapy companies most effectively, featuring:
   • Nick Stephens, President of the RSA Group, sharing his observations on the patient-centric mission that cell and gene therapy companies tend to have
   • Janel Firestein from Clarkston Consulting, sharing her experiences around the higher data and digital needs that cell therapy companies tend to have, because of their need for transparency in the supply chain
   • Sergio Armani, VP Business Development at Advarra, sharing some of the challenges he sees from his vantage point related to the clinical complexity of running a gene therapy study, as well as his guidance on IBC reviews
4. Blog Post: “11 Insights to Help Build Great Partnerships with Cell & Gene Therapy Companies” – a recap of the key insights shared by our industry experts during the webinar.