Doing Business in Asia - Opportunities & Challenges in Cell and Gene Therapy Deals

ABOUT THE WEBINAR

Asia is rapidly emerging as a powerhouse in cell and gene therapy development, offering a dynamic market with strong government commitment, cutting-edge research hubs, competitive supply chain options and pricing models, and more importantly, increasing patient demand. However, entering and thriving in this diverse region requires a strategic understanding of its complex regulatory landscape, market access challenges, and funding ecosystem.

Join us for an insightful webinar co-hosted by the ISCT Asia Regional Early Stage Professionals Subcommittee and the ISCT APAC Industry Committee, where industry experts will discuss key considerations for global biotech companies looking to either establish deals with Asian counterparts or secure a foothold in Asia. The panelists each offer their perspectives and real-life experiences on East-West market dynamics in the CGT sector. 

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DISCUSSIONS WILL COVER

  • Market entry strategies: key factors to consider when expanding CGT operations into Asia, including spin-offs, partnerships, licensing models, and local collaborations.
  • Navigating regulatory pathways: insights into the diverse and evolving CGT regulations across major Asian markets such as China, Japan, South Korea, India and others with yet untapped potential.
  • Securing funding opportunities: understanding the investment landscape and how to position Asia as a hub for CGT innovation to secure funding and strategic alliances.

Whether you're a technology developer, biotech executive, investor or regulatory professional, this webinar will provide actionable insights to help professionals begin to navigate and capitalize on Asia's growing CGT sector. 

KEY LEARNING OBJECTIVES

  • Understanding different market entry strategies in Asia and overcoming market access challenges
  • Navigating the diverse regulatory pathways and environments in Asia
  • Gaining insights into the unique medical needs and patient demographics
  • Learning about investment needs and opportunities
 WEBINAR CHAIRS

Natasha Hui Jin Ng, PhD
ISCT Asia Regional ESP Subcommittee Member
CEO & CSO
BetaLife Pte Ltd
Singapore

Dr. Natasha Ng is Co-Founder CEO and CSO of BetaLife, a Singapore-based biotech company developing iPSC-based cell therapy as a regenerative medicine for diabetes. She was previously a Senior Scientist in the Stem Cells and Diabetes Lab (Adrian Teo Lab) at IMCB, A*STAR. She has had over 12 years of experience in diabetes and islet biology research, and 8 years of hands-on experience in iPSC technologies. Her previous research work contributed to better understanding of the genetic and molecular mechanisms underlying diabetes development, and the discovery of potential new lines of treatment for the disease. Natasha previously graduated with a DPhil in Medical Sciences at the University of Oxford in 2016 and a BSc in Biology at Imperial College London in 2011. She was also a co-founder of BioMe Oxford, a UK-based, medical device start up developing a targeted gastrointestinal sampling device to capture the human microbiome. She is currently an Advisor and Former President of Biotech Connection Singapore, an Asia Regional Committee member of the International Society for Cell and Gene Therapy, and an ExCo member of Stem Cell Society Singapore.

Antonio S. J. Lee, MSc, PhD
ISCT APAC Industry Committee Co-Chair
CEO
MEDIPOST Co. Ltd
South Korea, Japan, United States

Dr. Antonio (Tony) Lee is the Global President & Executive Director of MEDIPOST Korea and serves as the Co-CEO of MEDIPOST Inc. (U.S.) and CEO of MEDIPOST K.K. (Japan), the wholly owned U.S. and Japanese subsidiaries of MEDIPOST, respectively. After earning his BSc (Hons) and MSc in Human Anatomy & Structural Biology and a PhD in Developmental Biology from the University of Otago in New Zealand, Dr. Lee held research positions in translational and regenerative medicine at the University of Sydney and the University of New South Wales, Australia.

Since joining MEDIPOST in 2011, Dr. Lee has led the company’s global commercialization and clinical development strategy for human umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem/stromal cell (hUCB-MSC) technologies and products, including the world’s first regulatory-approved allogeneic MSC product, CARTISTEM®, for knee osteoarthritis. He has overseen late-stage clinical trials in Japan and the U.S., and commercial manufacturing, CMC, and market access strategies across multiple jurisdictions, with over 33,000 patients treated with CARTISTEM® in South Korea since its market launch in 2012.

 WEBINAR SPEAKERS

Masayo Takahashi. MD, PhD
 ISCT Asia 2026 Regional Meeting Scientific Organizing Committee Member
President
Vision Care Inc.
Japan

Masayo Takahashi is an ophthalmologist who completed her doctoral program (Visual Pathology) at the Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University. She served as the leader of the Laboratory for Retinal Regeneration, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research from 2006 to 2022, conducting groundbreaking clinical research using the world’s first induced pluripotent stem (iPSC) cells in 2014. In 2017, she collaborated with the city of Kobe to establish the “Kobe Eye Center.” After leaving RIKEN in 2019, she became the CEO of Vision Care Inc. and subsequently founded two subsidiary companies dedicated to gene therapy development and cell therapy research.

John Ng. BEng, MBA
 ISCT APAC Industry Committee Member
General Manager, Asia Pacific
Dark Horse Consulting Group
Singapore

John Ng joined DHC in 2023 as General Manager of Asia Pacific, responsible for growing and supporting the Asia-Pacific market. Before joining DHC, John served as CTO of Tessa Therapeutics. Tessa Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company based in Singapore that is developing a portfolio of autologous and allogeneic cell therapy assets.

John joined Tessa Therapeutics as a member of its executive leadership team in 2016 and grew the company from 30 people to more than 200 people. In 2021, he was asked by the Board of Directors to become the Acting CEO, where he led the company to complete a USD $126M fundraising round. He led the design, build, and validation of their multi-product integrated commercial cGMP facility (134,000 sq ft). The facility obtained the GMP certificate from the Health Authority of Singapore (HSA) to manufacture cell therapy products in early 2023.

As the CTO, John was responsible for the Operations organization, which includes Manufacturing, Process Development, Quality, Program Management, Engineering, and Global Supply Chain. Under his leadership, Tessa Therapeutics completed a phase 3 pivotal autologous cell therapy trial supplied by in-house manufacturing. He also led the translation of multiple programs with Tessa’s academic partners, executing successful tech transfers and comparability runs.

Before Tessa Therapeutics, John served in various leadership roles in Technical Operations in publicly listed companies. He spent ten years in China, responsible for Procurement, Global Supply Chain, and Program management.

Matthew Hewitt, BA, PhD
 ISCT Industry Committee Member
Vice President, CTO Manufacturing Business Division
Charles River Laboratories
United States

Matthew Hewitt, BA, PhD, currently serves as Vice President, CTO Manufacturing Business Division at Charles River Laboratories (CRL) playing a critical role in driving CGT strategic vision as well as leading multiple operational initiatives across CRL’s CGT CDMO, Biologics Testing, and Microbial Solutions global network.

Before joining CRL, he was Head of R&D and Clinical Development for Lonza’s Personalized Medicine Business Unit leading Cocoon platform development, a closed, automated, scalable cell therapy manufacturing solution. In addition, he executed numerous collaborations across academia and industry leveraging the Cocoon. Prior to Lonza, Matt led the Tumor Immunology and Microenvironment program at Bellicum Pharmaceuticals, focusing on improving cell therapy efficacy in solid tumors. He also led the Immunology group at the University of Pennsylvania’s Gene Therapy Program, leading and contributing to numerous AAV gene therapy programs.

Matthew received his BA in Molecular Biology at Goucher College while playing Men’s Lacrosse. He then pursued his PhD in Biophysics and Physiology from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and completed his postdoctoral fellowship at Johns Hopkins University within the Asthma and Allergy Division.

Kilian Kelly, MPharm, PhD
ISCT APAC Industry Committee
Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director
Cynata Therapeutics
Australia

Dr. Kilian Kelly has over 20 years of experience in biopharmaceutical research and development, including almost 15 years focused on the development of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) based therapies. He joined Cynata in March 2014, initially as Vice President, Product Development, then Chief Operating Officer from May 2019. Since July 2023, he has been CEO & MD. At Cynata, he has overseen all stages of the development of the Cymerus™ induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived MSC technology, including the first completed clinical trial of any iPSC-derived product worldwide.

Dr. Kelly previously held positions at Biota Pharmaceuticals, Mesoblast Limited, Kendle International, Amgen and AstraZeneca. He holds a Masters in Pharmacy from the Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, as well as a PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences from Strathclyde University, Glasgow. Dr. Kelly is also a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD), Melbourne.

Currently, Dr. Kelly proudly represents ISCT, serving as a member on the ISCT Asia-Pacific Industry Committee. Simultaneously, he is a member of multiple adjacent societies in CGT, including the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) fulfilling a role within the ISSCR Best Practices Working Group for the Development of PSC-Derived Therapies; the Industry Interface Committee of the Center of Commercialisation of Regenerative Medicine (CCRM) in Australia; the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, and lastly, the AICD.