Why We Run TrakCel’s Industry Advancement Boards: A CPO’s Perspective on Giving Back, Driving Standards, and Shaping the Future of Advanced Therapies 

By Dr Akshay Peer, Chief Product Officer, TrakCel 

The cell and gene therapy (CGT) sector is advancing at a pace few could have predicted a decade ago. With that growth comes extraordinary complexity: in supply chains, in data exchange, in patient coordination, in regulatory expectations, and in the lived experience of every stakeholder across the value chain. At TrakCel, we see these challenges every day through our work supporting therapy developers, treatment centers, manufacturers, logistics & distribution partners, and technology innovators. 

And that is exactly why we created our Industry Advancement Boards (IABs). 

Held twice per year, TrakCel’s IABs unite leaders across the CGT ecosystem to collaborate on shared challenges, drive standardization, exchange practical learnings, and co‑shape the technologies and processes that will determine the future of advanced therapies.  

A Space Built for Honest, Practical Exchange 

From the very beginning, the IABs were designed as working forums- not marketing events, not product showcases. Our goal was to create a space where healthcare practitioners could speak honestly about what’s working, what isn’t, and what our industry needs next. The format reflects this intention: expert‑led discussions, panel debates, real‑world case studies, and interactive workshops where every voice in the room is given time and weight.  

Recent sessions have explored topics ranging from expanding patient access to community hospitals, ISBT‑128 labeling standards, to site onboarding, compliance barriers, and the evolving roles of AI and digital orchestration & standardization. These are areas where the abstract quickly becomes operational. Participants bring tangible experience, whether in community clinics, academic centers, manufacturing, standard‑setting bodies, or logistics networks, and the discussions reflect the breadth and nuance of the challenges we all face. 

Giving Back to a Sector Built on Collaboration 

As a team deeply embedded in the CGT landscape, we believe it’s our responsibility to give back to the ecosystem that has shaped our mission and our products. The exponential complexity of CGT supply chains, with more hospitals, more departments, more manufacturing sites, and more shipments than ever before, means that no single company can solve the challenges alone. Recent developments of utilizing CAR-T therapies for targeting auto-immune conditions like Stiff Person’s Syndrome, Lupus, Myasthenia Gravis and others are likely to add further complexity and larger patient populations to an already strained ecosystem. 

Lack of standardization, inconsistent processes, and the proliferation of single‑product portals only add to the burden on providers and create risk for patients. At TrakCel, we have seen through our work with all our clients that standardization and workflow‑driven solutions are essential to reduce confusion, prevent error, and enable scalable, compliant therapy handling.  

The IABs are one way we contribute to this effort: by convening the experts who collectively have the power to elevate quality, consistency, and patient safety across the field. 

Platforming Debate: The Hard Conversations We Need to Have 

One of the most valuable aspects of the IABs is the freedom to tackle subjects that require robust debate, including those that may be uncomfortable. For example: 

How do we expand equitable access to CGTs in community clinics? A previous session brought together leaders from Penn Medicine, Sarah Cannon, Novartis, Autolus Therapeutics, and Accenture to examine exactly this, generating discussions that will influence how therapies reach more patients.  

How can global standards bodies, such as FACT & ICCBBA, collaborate more effectively with therapy developers, vendors, and providers? Insights from global standards leaders help our entire community align on best practices for labeling, chain‑of‑identity, and chain‑of‑custody management.  

What role will AI and intelligent orchestration tools play in safely scaling advanced therapies? As digital platforms evolve, the opportunity to streamline workflows, reduce burden, and minimize risk becomes clearer — and these discussions help shape responsible, practical adoption. 

By putting these conversations front and center, the IABs help accelerate collective understanding and encourage the sharing of actionable insights. 

Shaping the Future of Technology Together 

One of the reasons these meetings are so productive is that they are not passive. Our workshops are intentionally designed to encourage hands‑on collaboration, including sessions where participants influence how technologies like OCELLOS evolve to support future industry needs.  

We bring together diverse viewpoints- clinical, operational, logistical, engineering, regulatory- because orchestration technology must serve all of them. When we co‑design features and workflows with the people doing the work on the ground, the result is better, safer, more intuitive systems that reflect real-world constraints and priorities. 

The Outcomes: What Participants Tell Us 

While the value of collaboration is clear, the true impact is best described by those who attend. Previous participants tell us: 

“So far, these have been the best I have attended.”  

“My wish is to continue to follow and know that we are being heard. I so appreciate this advisory board and goals!”  

This sense of being “heard” is central to our mission. The IABs are not just an opportunity for open conversation; they directly influence our roadmap, our technology design, and the way we support patients and partners across the CGT ecosystem. 

Shared Benefits: Why These Gatherings Matter for Everyone Involved 

For therapy developers: 
They gain visibility into the challenges faced by treatment centers, logistics providers, and manufacturers- information critical for scaling safely and efficiently. 

For treatment sites: 
They hear real‑world insights from peers and gain a direct voice in shaping more standardized, user‑friendly processes and technologies. 

For manufacturers and couriers: 
The IABs help clarify upstream and downstream constraints, improving coordination and reducing operational risk. 

For standards bodies and regulators: 
They gain early insights into emerging industry needs and can help guide alignment around terminology, labeling, and data exchange models. 

For patients: 
Ultimately, every improvement in process efficiency, safety, standardization, and communication- every reduction in manual effort or ambiguity- increases the likelihood that the right therapy reaches the right patient at the right time. 

Looking Ahead: Continuing to Build, Improve, and Include 

As the CGT ecosystem grows, we intend to expand our IAB program, adding more regional touchpoints, more virtual access, and more specialized discussions. Recent virtual sessions have already shown the value of enabling broader participation across time zones and clinical settings.  

The future of advanced therapies will be shaped not by any one company, but by the collective insights and collaboration of the people who live and breathe this work every day. Our job, and my personal commitment as TrakCel’s Chief Product Officer, is to continue creating the spaces, tools, and opportunities that make that collaboration possible. 

Join Us 

Whether you are a therapy developer, clinician, manufacturer, logistics partner, or standards leader, your perspective is essential. You can register your interest in upcoming IABs and receive post‑event insights and takeaways through our website.  

Together, we can continue building a safer, more standardized, and more connected future for advanced therapies, and, most importantly, for the patients at the heart of every innovation.