Bedside Biotech
MBP Industrial Advisory Board member David Peritt is pioneering patient-centric treatments through an innovative cell therapy approach.
In a small laboratory in Northbrook, Illinois, a team of scientists is trying to define the future of medicine.
They aren't mixing chemicals in beakers or peering through microscopes. Instead, they are developing a system that could transform a hospital room into a personalized drug-therapy station.
“I have consistently been attracted to innovation at the intersection of engineering and biology,” said Peritt, a member of the Industrial Advisory Board for Northwestern Engineering's Master of Biotechnology Program (MBP). “The most significant inventions often arise at intersections. They create opportunities that are unattainable or unconsidered within a singular discipline.”
Lupagen is a medical device firm situated at just such an intersection. Its bedside procedure system would enable drug delivery and gene editing of immune cells in a patient’s hospital room.
This innovative approach epitomizes the shift towards patient-centric biotechnology, a movement that is reshaping the industry and demanding a new breed of biotech professionals.
The concept of patient-centric biotech represents a paradigm shift from the traditional
one-size-fits-all approach. Historically, a cancer drug or autoimmune drug was given to everyone with a particular disease, and maybe 50-70 percent of patients responded.
What was not understood for decades was why such a large percentage did not respond. Peritt contends researchers rarely spent long enough to figure that out.
In contrast, patient-centric approaches such as those in development at Lupagen aim to tailor treatments to individual patients and dramatically increase those success percentages.
“We extract immune cells from a patient, gene edit, then reinfuse the modified cells to improve their functionality,” Peritt said. “The field of personalized cell and gene therapy is now advancing treatments for diseases with unmet needs, but it remains in its early phases.”
Besides being early in the forming process, this personalized approach, while promising, comes with its own set of challenges. Cost remains a significant hurdle, as does navigating the complex regulatory landscape for individualized therapies.
Despite these obstacles, the field is advancing rapidly.
“We now have platforms that have been in the works for many years that are showing promise,” Peritt said. “As these move to approval, there are learnings, improvements, regulatory pathways, and increased investment that all drive further utilization of these novel modes of therapy.”
As the industry evolves, so too must the education that prepares future biotech leaders. Northwestern's MBP is at the forefront of this educational shift, continuously adapting its curriculum to reflect industry trends.
Peritt plays a role in making that happen. He serves on the program’s Industrial Advisory Board, which is tasked with ensuring the curriculum remains aligned with biotech’s needs.
“MBP continues to assess new therapeutic modalities and how to incorporate them into their curriculum,” Peritt said. “In my time with the program, there has been expansion of cell and gene therapy which has moved into classwork and lectures.”
Beyond core biotechnology skills, MBP emphasizes a multidisciplinary approach, encouraging students to explore business, regulatory affairs, and biological sciences.
This holistic education prepares graduates to navigate the complex landscape of patient-centric biotech.
“I am impressed by how the program works with other disciplines at Northwestern to allow our students to explore,” Peritt said. “Getting a taste at MBP sets them on a faster glide path and opens doors.”
As biotechnology continues its march towards more personalized, patient-centric approaches, MBP will play a crucial role in shaping the industry’s future leaders, Peritt said.
“It opens up so many interesting possibilities to treat disease in novel ways,” Peritt said. “The importance of being more well-rounded, especially in commercial settings, is very important to have an impact and be more valuable to an organization.”
