Orgenesis Academy graduates first class of cell and gene therapy experts from theraCell Laboratories-backed master’s program

Program prepares scientists to meet the accelerating demand for cell and gene therapy expertise across an industry already delivering cures for dangerous diseases

Germantown, Maryland, US, May 22, 2023 - Orgenesis Inc. (NASDAQ: ORGS) (“Orgenesis” or the “Company”), a global biotech company working to unlock the full potential of cell and gene therapies (CGTs), today announced the first graduating class from a unique Master of Science degree program in Cell and Gene Therapies, sponsored by the Company’s joint venture, theraCell Laboratories. The bi-institutional program, resulting in a degree through the University of Patras School of Medicine and the University of West Attica Department of Biomedical Sciences, launched in February 2022 to develop scientists with the knowledge and skills to accommodate increasing demand from the burgeoning CGT field. Of the ten graduates, the majority received immediate offers and progressed their careers in the field, including 4 at theraCell Laboratories itself.

Multiple approved CGTs have demonstrated that this new class of medicines can treat or even cure intractable diseases, typically with a single dose. But the number of patients in need has already outstripped the biopharma industry’s capacity to train them, in part due to the small pool of experienced scientists with the expertise needed to perform the highly complex development and manufacturing processes. New technologies like the Orgenesis Mobile Processing Units and Labs(TM) (“OMPULs(TM)”) can reduce the heavy manual burden associated with centralized production. But as regulators expect to soon be approving dozens of CGT per year, the need for CGT expertise will continue to grow.

“We are proud of this first class of graduates, who have stepped into a field where their training will immediately be leveraged to improve access to advanced therapies,” said Vered Caplan, CEO of Orgenesis. “As a global company dedicated to enabling more experts in a variety of settings to help patients, we look for opportunities outside of our own labs to share knowledge, as we strive to meet our responsibility to those with high unmet medical needs.”

The Cell and Gene Therapies MSc program is part of The Orgenesis Academy, a global initiative and one of only a handful of programs in the world targeted to meet this need, and its broad applicant pool reflects the intense global interest in the rigorous program. The curriculum, developed by the Universities in conjunction with theraCell Laboratories to meet the requirements of the field, covers all aspects of CGT with the purpose of training graduate scientists with various backgrounds in the fields of production, distribution, clinical evaluation and clinical implementation of CGTs, as well as to study both the biological substrate of CGTs and the regulatory framework for their production and application. The course also includes training in basic cell biology, lab techniques and statistics.

Coursework is supplemented with weekly lectures and assignments from subject matter expert speakers invited from around the world, aligned with key topics of interest to the field, as well as hands-on experience under real GMP lab conditions at the University of Patras’ Institute of Cell Therapy “Dimitris Lois” and theraCell Laboratories. By combining theory and practice, students regularly engage in the direct application of skills, theories, and procedures related to the development of CGTs.

“We celebrate the early success of the Cell and Gene Therapies program, and look forward to expanding and improving it further, informed by an open dialogue with the students,” said Prof. Alexandros Spyridonidis, Director of the Cell and Gene Therapies MSc program and Professor of Hematology at the University of Patras. “Future classes will train up to 30 scientists at a time for crucial work in academic, clinical, industrial and regulatory settings, making sure the sector can keep up with patients’ need for these life-saving medicines.”

For more information about the Cell and Gene Therapies MSc program, part of The Orgenesis Academy, visit www.mastercgt.com.

About Orgenesis

Orgenesis is a global biotech company working to unlock the full potential of cell and gene therapies (CGTs) in an affordable and accessible format at the point of care. The Orgenesis POCare Platform is comprised of three enabling components: a pipeline of licensed POCare Therapeutics that are processed and produced in closed, automated POCare Technology systems across a collaborative POCare Network. Orgenesis identifies promising new therapies and leverages its POCare Platform to provide a rapid, globally harmonized pathway for these therapies to reach and treat large numbers of patients at lowered costs through efficient, scalable, and decentralized production. The POCare Network brings together patients, doctors, industry partners, research institutes and hospitals worldwide to achieve harmonized, regulated clinical development and production of the therapies. www.orgenesis.com.