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Cell Therapy Characterization Standardization Workshop

A NIST–FDA Joint Workshop

This workshop aims to support ongoing pre-standardization and standardization efforts for analytical methods used in cell therapy characterization and testing.  Documentary standards are a critical aspect of the supporting infrastructure for advanced therapies.  They can promote innovation and translation, help to secure supply chain and other infrastructure, and help to streamline regulatory review and reduce cost and time to market.  Recent FDA guidance has established a standards recognition program for regenerative medicine therapies (SRP-RMT) and ongoing national and international pre-standardization and standardization efforts continue to drive standards development.  Here we will discuss standardization efforts for several key analytical method for cell therapy product characterization and testing including cell viability assays, cell activity assays, and assays related to cell therapy product safety including residual cells and sterility testing.  We will conclude with a panel discussion on key considerations for cell therapy analytical method standardization. 

Draft agenda as of January 21, 2025

Day  

Time   
(all EDT)  

Session  

Tuesday, 
March 25, 2025  
 

1:00 pm – 1:30pm  

Welcome and Cell Therapy Characterization and Testing Standard Overview
Sumona Sarkar, NIST 
Title TBA 

 

1:30 pm – 2:15pm 

Cell Viability Assay Standardization Efforts
Laura Pierce, NIST   
General Requirements, Considerations and Validation Strategies for Fit-for-Purpose Cell Viability Analytical Methods

 

2:15 pm – 3:00 pm  

Cell Killing Assay Standardization Efforts
Speaker TBA, Standards Coordinating Body 
General requirements and considerations for cell killing assays/cell-mediated cytotoxicity assays for CAR-based therapy testing

 

3:00 pm – 3:30 pm  

Coffee break 

 

3:30 pm – 4:00 pm  

Characterization of iPSC based Cell Therapy Products
Lucilia Mouriès, Health & Environmental Sciences Instiute (HESI)
Measurement of residual iPSCs in Cell Therapy Products 

 

4:00 pm – 4:30 pm  

Sterility Testing of Cell Therapy Products
Nancy Lin, NIST 
Update from the NIST Rapid Microbial Testing Methods Consortium 

 

4:30pm – 5:00pm  

Panel Discussion
Key Considerations for cell therapy analytical method standardization 

Created November 6, 2024, Updated February 13, 2025