ATMP Path2Patient – From Discovery to Patients

Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMPs), including cell, gene and tissue-engineered therapies, are transforming medicine by offering new treatments for conditions once considered incurable. In Lund and Skåne, researchers are advancing 27 active ATMP projects, ranging from regenerative therapies for Parkinson’s disease to new approaches in oncology and rare genetic disorders.

The ATMP Path2Patient project is designed to accelerate this progress by ensuring that scientific breakthroughs can be translated into real patient benefit. Led by Lund University’s Innovation Office and carried out in collaboration with SmiLe Venture Hub, Medicon Village Innovation, the ATMP facility at Lund University (LU-ATMP) and Region Skåne’s ATMP Centre, the initiative brings together academia, healthcare and industry in a strong collaborative model. The goal is to create a seamless pathway that helps therapies move efficiently from discovery through clinical testing and, ultimately, into healthcare.

A key focus of Path2Patient is strengthening infrastructure and expertise. At Lund University, a new pre-GMP facility will provide affordable access to process development in an environment that mirrors clinical manufacturing. Downstream, the ATMP Center at Skåne University Hospital will add a 1,100 m² GMP unit, enabling therapies to be produced for clinical trials directly adjacent to patient care.

The project also addresses common bottlenecks such as regulatory guidance, technology transfer and commercial readiness. By aligning innovation support with process development and clinical implementation, Path2Patient helps promising therapies avoid delays and gain early traction with investors, partners and healthcare providers.

Embedded in the Medicon Valley life science cluster, Path2Patient also connects local strengths with international expertise and industry networks. This creates new opportunities for cross-border collaboration and positions southern Sweden as a launchpad for ATMP therapies.

By bridging research and patient care, ATMP Path2Patient ensures that groundbreaking therapies developed in Lund can reach those who need them most – faster, safer and with lasting impact.