Global Access to Gene Therapies

Significant advancements have occurred in recent years in the gene therapy field, and several products that may vastly improve the lives of patients are approved or nearing approval in high-income countries. Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) do not have the same access to the resources necessary for gene therapy development, despite the prevalence of diseases that are potentially treatable with gene therapies. One of ASGCT’s priorities in its 2020 strategic plan is therefore to foster equitable access to gene therapies in LMICs. The Society aims to do so in the following ways:

• Encouraging clinical trial development in middle-income countries that have burgeoning regulatory frameworks and medical systems that can already support gene therapy.

• Increasing awareness of the state of the gene therapy field in low-income countries through partnered educational programming with local institutions.

• Providing resources and training opportunities for researchers in their home countries.

The Society also aims to extend its mission beyond the US by increasing inclusion of global audiences into the Society’s existing programming and broadening its global membership and engagement.

Committee Involvement

The Global Outreach Committee advances ASGCT’s goals to foster access to gene and cell therapies on a global scale by overseeing the creation of Society resources and programming for audiences outside of the US.

Collaborative Efforts

ASGCT provides financial and speaker support to  the Foundation for the NIH’s International Summit in Human Genetics and Genomics, which brings researchers from LMICs to the US for a month-long program at the National Human Genome Research Institute.

ASGCT has worked with the following professional societies from around the world to deliver coordinated scientific and educational content:

Brazilian Association of Cellular and Gene Therapy  

European Society of Gene and Cell Therapy

Japanese Society of Gene and Cell Therapy

South African Stem Cell Transplant Society

South African Society of Haematology