Miguel Forte

President/ Chair, Board of Directors, CEO/Co-Founder
International Society of Cell and Gene Therapy (ISCT),​ Kiji Therapeutics

President and Board of Directors chair of the International Society of Cell and Gene Therapy (ISCT) from June 2024. Previously Chief Commercialization Officer and Chair of the ISCT Commercialization Committee (2014-2020) leading the expansion of the industrial community, strengthening the Committee to better represent the industrial translational objectives and needs of society membership.
CEO and Co-Founder of Kiji Therapeutics, Executive Chairman of the Board of StemBond and consulting through mC4Tx to several organizations, Professor at the Lisbon University and Board of Directors and Executive Committee member for Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (ARM). 
Previously CEO of Bone Therapeutics (2019-2022) leading the listed company through strategic refocus, several raises and a successful M&A transaction. Before that, CEO of Zelluna Immunotherapy (2017-2019), where he established the corporate structure, raised successfully, built the team and launched the strategy for solid tumors allogeneic C&GT. From 2010-2017 was CMO/COO of TxCell, establishing and leading the professional C&GT product translation development for autoimmune diseases. Participated on the company IPO and several successful raises. From 2006-2010 was VP of Global Medical Affairs at UCB contributing to the development of the biologics portfolio, product approval and launch. In 2004, joined Nabi Pharmaceuticals as the VP of Medical/Regulatory Affairs for Europe, leading from inception the creation of the vaccine company in Europe. 
After several public sector clinical, academic, and regulatory positions in Portugal and at the European Medicines Agency (EMA), namely as CHMP member, spent six years with BMS (1998-2003) as Country Medical Director, Executive Director, and VP of International Medical in Portugal and Belgium. 
Holds an M.D. and Specialist in Infectious Diseases from the Faculty of Medicine, University of Lisbon, a Ph.D. in Immunology, University of Birmingham, and a certificate on Health Technologies Economics, Stockholm School of Economics. He is Fellow of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine of the RCP in the UK.

Speech title & Synopsis

Evidence based Cell and Gene Therapies: Global development for local benefit

The Cell and Gene Therapy products are delivering enormous value to patients with a potential to cure some pathologies. Over the last 15 years the growth of these products has been exponential with a global impact with local opportunities and local challenges.

The regional variation spans from early science to all aspects of translation, namely clinical trial activity, to regulatory and very significantly to funding opportunities and patterns.

The current status of translation of science into cell and gene therapy products and the patient access to them will be reviewed and looked at from a global and local perspectives.

Looking into the future, and the role of us individually, in our organizations and in societies like ISCT, is important to anticipate our actions in order to enable the adequate generation of evidence supporting the use of these products, the ethical approach in their development and the patient access to address the unmet medical needs, globally wit a clear regional perspective.