Updated on 5 November 2026
ATMP Clinical Translation & Manufacturing Site in CEE: Cleanroom (160 m², CliniMACS Prodigy) for CAR-T/NK Consortia
Director, Center for Gene and Cellular Therapies (OncoGen) at OncoGen - "Pius Brînzeu" Emergency County Clinical Hospital Timișoara
Timisoara, Romania
About
Core Expertise & Clinical Infrastructure
OncoGen Center (Center for Gene and Cellular Therapies in Cancer) operates as a specialized research, development, and translational institute integrated within the tertiary "Pius Brînzeu" Emergency County Clinical Hospital Timișoara, Romania. Under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Virgil Păunescu, the center bridges advanced biotherapeutic discovery with hospital-based clinical validation.
Key infrastructure and translational assets include:
- Hospital-Integrated Manufacturing: 160 m² cleanroom infrastructure (Grade A-in-B, BSL-2) specifically designed for cell therapy processing, vector handling, and advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMP).
- Automated Closed-System Cell Processing: In-house Miltenyi CliniMACS Prodigy platform, establishing an automated, audit-ready baseline for decentralized cell manufacturing workflows.
- Clinical Colocalization: Co-located with adult and pediatric hematology-oncology departments, active patient apheresis facilities, biobanking, flow cytometry, and next-generation sequencing (NGS).
- Proprietary Technology & IP: Published patents on universal chimeric antigen receptors and ongoing development of CAR-T and CAR-NK cellular platforms for hematologic and solid malignancies.
Proven Grant Track Record
OncoGen actively implements European and national competitive projects, including:
- REAKT: RBC-engagers for NK and T-cell activation in cancer immunotherapy.
- CROSSCARE: Personalized molecular diagnostics and AI/expert-system development in oncology.
- TheraFast: High-performance molecular target validation and advanced translational platforms.
Value Proposition for Consortia
- CEE / Widening Advantage: Fully equipped, cost-effective clinical testing and validation site in Central and Eastern Europe, ready to demonstrate pan-European scalability, hospital-exemption frameworks, and regulatory harmonization.
- Readiness for Decentralized Models: Operational hospital testbed for point-of-care cell processing protocols and translational clinical trials.
- Openness to Industrial Collaboration: Experienced in public-private co-development, ready to support industry-led IHI and Horizon Europe consortia.
Partner Role Sought
Work Package contributor, clinical testing/validation site, and ATMP pilot manufacturing partner with industrial coordinators, biopharma leaders, and academic consortia.
Organisation
OncoGen - "Pius Brînzeu" Emergency County Clinical Hospital Timișoara
R&D Institution
Timisoara, Romania
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