Regulatory Aspects of Gene Therapy and Cell Therapy Products

Maria Cristina Galli was co-editor of the first edition. Dr. Galli holds a University degree in Biological Sciences and a PhD in Molecular Medicine. Her main expertise is in regulatory sciences for translational medicine in the Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMP) field, supported by scientific education and more than 20 years research experience in experimental oncology, cellular biology, and molecular immunology. Until her retirement end of 2020, dr. Galli was senior researcher at the Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Roma, Italy. For 25 years she served as quality assessor for gene therapy and biotechnology medicines in national as well as European procedures; at the same time, she was a Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) and Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) inspector in the field of gene therapy and biotechnology with special experience in ATMP production and preclinical studies. Dr. Galli was a member of the Committee for Advanced Therapies (CAT) at the European Medicine Agency (EMA) in 2009–2011 and vice-chair/chair of CAT-EMA Gene Therapy Working Party in 2008–2012, in which she participated since its first meeting in early 2000s. Until 2020 she was chair of the ATMP platform in the European infrastructure for translational medicine EATRIS-ERIC, after having been co-chair for 3 years. From 2018 to 2020 she was chair of the Gene Therapy Products Working Party of the European Pharmacopoeia Commission, European Department for the Quality of Medicines, Strasbourg, France, after having served as expert in the previous term (2004-2010) of that working party. Since 2005 dr. Galli has been regularly invited at international scientific conferences or meetings and has also regularly given classes in master courses at various Italian Universities, on scientific and regulatory aspects of ATMP development and on GMP for ATMP. Dr. Galli is presently a free-lance consultant in the field of gene and cell therapy development and production.