by Kenjiro Lolling | Apr 15, 2025 | Events, News
Join NecstGen and ProteoNic for our webinar “Improving lentiviral vector yield with 2G UNic technology”, presented by Maurice van der Heijden (Director of R&D, ProteoNic) and Diederik Lokhorst (Viral Vector Scientist, NecstGen).
Discover more about ProteoNic’s 2G UNic™ technology and how NecstGen has been applying the technology for Lentiviral (LV) production. Learn from our experts while they discuss several aspects of LV production, a major cost driver in both gene therapies and Ex vivo gene therapies, and how both companies are working together to improve it.
Register now to secure your spot and stay tuned for more updates!
Register here
by Kenjiro Lolling | Apr 8, 2025 | Events, News
TechTalk XL – Tuesday 1 July 2025
Hosted by NecstGen in collaboration with Leiden Bio Science Park
🗓 Date: Tuesday 1 July 2025
🕒 Time: 15:30 – 19:30
📍 Location: NecstGen, Mirai House | Sylviusweg 62, Leiden
NecstGen is pleased to host the next edition of TechTalk XL during the Dutch Bio Science Week 2025 this summer. We invite you to join us for a focused afternoon of content and conversation on Cell & Gene Therapies.
The TechTalk XL programme showcases speakers and brief snapshot talks that highlight innovative breakthroughs and share practical insights across the spectrum—from development to clinical translation—of advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs).
Programme:
15:30 – Arrival & Registration
16:00 – Speaker Session & Q&A
– “Developing curative gene therapies for area genetic diseases” by Frank Staal (Leiden University Medical Center)
– “NTrans delivery platform – Unlocking next-generation T-cell therapies” by Ester Weijers (NTrans Technologies BV)
– “Transforming the treatment landscape of Cancer & Autoimmune diseases with stem cell-derived Natural Killer cells” by Anna-Maria Georgoudaki (Glycostem Therapeutics)
17:00 – Snapshot Talks
From 17:30 – Networking
Additional speakers and further details will be announced shortly.
Participation is free, but seats are limited
Please register in advance by clicking here
Get a glimpse of last years event here
by Kenjiro Lolling | Apr 3, 2025 | Press Releases
Leiden, The Netherlands, April 3rd, 2025 – NecstGen, the Netherlands Center for the Clinical Advancement of Stem Cell and Gene Therapies, announces that Paul Bilars will be stepping down as Chief Executive Officer in July, after five and a half years of dedicated service. Paul’s leadership has been instrumental in establishing NecstGen as a place of innovation and excellence in the field of Cell and Gene Therapy.
Paul’s journey for NecstGen began with a vision: to create a centre that not only advances cell and gene therapies but also fosters collaboration across academia and industry. Many stakeholders and supporters were engaged by Paul, many of whom also played pivotal roles in the starting the initiative and jointly founding NecstGen. His commitment to this mission has led to the development of a state-of-the-art GMP facility at the Leiden Bio Science Park, providing services for Cell Therapy manufacturing, Viral Vector production, and cleanroom rental.
Under Paul’s stewardship, NecstGen has forged pivotal partnerships that have accelerated the translation of groundbreaking therapies from bench to bedside. Collaborations with organisations such as Pan Cancer T have advanced personalised TCR T-cell therapy approaches, focusing on innovative strategies to improve treatment outcomes for cancer patients. NecstGen has secured important industry interactions including the support of decentralised manufacturing of CAR-T cell therapies for Galapagos.
Paul’s leadership was also marked by significant financial milestones, including securing investments from key stakeholders such as Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), Leiden University, the National Government through the Groeifonds, and the Province of South Holland to support the establishment and growth of NecstGen’s facility.
Beyond these achievements, Paul’s energetic and supportive approach has cultivated a strong culture of proactive innovation within NecstGen. His genuine care for colleagues and partners alike has fostered an environment where ideas flourish, and boundaries are pushed.
As Paul embarks on a new chapter, his NecstGen colleagues extend their gratitude for his dedication. His legacy will undoubtedly continue to inspire and guide the organisation’s future endeavours. Paul will continue his commitment to healthcare by joining ARQ National Psychotrauma Centre, an organisation dedicated to mental health and resilience. ARQ’s mission aligns with his passion for improving lives through innovation and care, making it a natural next step in his journey.
NecstGen remains committed to the vision that Paul helped to build and will continue to support groundbreaking Cell and Gene Therapy advancements. Continuity will be ensured through the ongoing support of shareholder LUMC, as well as the leadership of Chief Operating Officer Arjen Schippers and Chief Financial Officer Jan Rydlo. The organisation looks forward to a future shaped by the strong foundation he has laid and remains dedicated to driving innovation for the benefit of patients worldwide.
About NecstGen
NecstGen is a non-profit Contract Development and Manufacturing Organisation (CDMO) and centre of excellence for Cell and Gene Therapy, located in a purpose-built GMP facility at the Leiden Bio Science Park, the largest bio-cluster in the Netherlands. NecstGen provides critical contract development, manufacturing, and rental services to academic and industrial therapy developers, enabling the delivery of next-generation therapeutics to patients.
by Kenjiro Lolling | Apr 1, 2025 | News
Last Thursday, NecstGen had the pleasure of hosting the bioMérieux Pharma Quality Control User Group meeting “Automation and Digitalisation in Your QC Micro Lab” in Leiden, in close collaboration with the bioMérieux team.
The event brought together users of bioMérieux solutions for a full day of expert presentations, engaging discussions, a guided facility tour, and a live demonstration of 3P CONNECT—bioMérieux’s digital solution designed to streamline microbiological Quality Control (QC) processes in pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical manufacturing.
We want to thank bioMérieux for their partnership and making this meeting possible and all participants for their active involvement and valuable insights.
A special thanks to the speakers:
Dave Bates, Stephan Pohlmann, Emilie de Bruijckere, Katarina Bredberg, Marc Vanderhaeghen-Manier, Melissa Van Pel, Kees Mensch, Jasper Donkers, and David Watson.
Bringing together expertise in this way is essential to improving the reliability and efficiency of QC in Cell and Gene Therapy manufacturing.
by Kenjiro Lolling | Mar 27, 2025 | News
NecstGen is a mission-driven CDMO, operating as a non-profit organization to challenge the high costs of CGT therapies. From our cutting-edge facility located in Leiden, The Netherlands, we are able to serve clients all over the world, including US-based companies.
Over the past few weeks, we and our partners from The Digital Capability Company (DCC) have been working with a group of students from The Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business MBA program in their consulting assignment. Their objective: to provide us with insights and recommendations on how to approach and enter the US Cell Therapy market; Our role: to support the team with sector-specific insights, such competitive intelligence from a European CDMO perspective.
Last week, we had the pleasure to host the group at our facilities, and it was great to finally meet them in person! Brooke E. Leeder Roenitz, Brandon Douglass, John Parkerson, Eric Terry and Chelsea Wright, thank you very much for the visit. It was great to host you all, we hope that you enjoyed the visit as much as we did!
Kees Mensch, Jasper Donkers and Rick Stijnen, thank you for giving us the chance to participate in this project. All of the discussions have been very insightful, and we look forward to the final recommendations from the team!
