Academic development of ATMPS in Belgium – an exploratory study of the legal and strategic options

KCE Reports 396C (2025)

ATMPs (Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products) are complex drugs based on cells, genes or tissues. Currently, they are mainly developed and used to treat certain cancers or genetic disorders. Only a small number of ATMPs are currently commercialised by the industry and they are often very expensive, up to several million euros per treatment. At the request of several Belgian cancer associations, the Federal Health Care Knowledge Centre (KCE) looked into ways of optimising the role of Belgian universities in this field, in order to improve  access to these drugs for patients. This requires in-depth expertise from both governments and academics, as well as closer cooperation. Moreover, as the development of ATMPs can take many years, funding should also cover a sufficiently long period and be less fragmented. Read more...