Advanced therapy medicinal products: a tsunami in clinical medicine 

Advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs) are an exciting, relatively new class of personalised treatments across cell, gene and regenerative medicine. ATMPs have the potential to have positively life-changing outcomes for both adults and paediatric patients for certain types of diseases.

A rapidly evolving landscape 

There are several investigational ATMPs across multiple clinical areas, including various cancers, cystic fibrosis, neuromuscular disorders, blood disorders, rheumatology, ophthalmology and many other disease areas. 

ATMPs are already used in mainstream clinical practice for adult and paediatric patients — either to delay further disease progression (e.g. zolgensma for spinal muscular atrophy) or potentially significantly prolong survival (e.g. chimeric antigen receptor T-cell [CAR-T] therapy in haematological blood cancers). They can offer life-changing benefits to patients in cases where there may otherwise be very few — or no — alternative treatments.

Patient support and survivorship 

While the clinical community broadly advocates for the adoption of novel therapies, the prospect of receiving an ATMP can present a significant psychological adjustment for some patients managing a long-term or rare condition^​1,2​. Many individuals with life-long conditions will have established support structures built around recurring clinical contact and multidisciplinary care. For some patients receiving novel and potentially ‘life-changing’ therapy, there is a perceived experience of substantially reduced support available and long-term survivorship issues to manage.

It is, therefore, critical that patients and their caregivers receive comprehensive support throughout the ATMP pathway, facilitating informed decision-making and continuity of care before, during and after treatment. 

There is ongoing collaboration through the advanced therapy treatment centres (ATTCs), networks and patient advocacy groups, such as ATMP Engage, to ensure patients are well supported through shared experiences, raising awareness and the development of a dedicated patient charter.

Getting the pharmacy workforce ready 

ATMPs are set to become increasingly integrated into future mainstream clinical practice, while ensuring the pharmacy workforce is appropriately trained and equipped for this is paramount for safe delivery^​3–5​. They also present unique pharmaceutical challenges well beyond those of conventional medicines (e.g. dosing cellular therapies in e-prescribing systems, managing out-of-specification products), which necessitates a coordinated approach to workforce education across the multidisciplinary team.

Pharmacy teams are central to ensuring safe ATMP delivery, providing clinical and financial governance oversight through the chief pharmacist and technical expertise for successful implementation. This encompasses specialised storage, aseptic preparation, dispensing, clinical monitoring, pharmacovigilance and risk assessment across the full patient pathway. Developing robust clinical standard operating procedures (SOPs) and well-defined clinical pathways collaboratively will ensure consistency throughout. Continual learning and oversight are fundamental to maintaining workforce readiness as this landscape evolves^​5​ .

Nationally, to address these needs, the Pan-UK Pharmacy Working Group for ATMPs acts as an expert body, supporting UK pharmacies to facilitate ATMP usage, with subgroups spanning regulatory, governance and technical services, clinical trials, and clinical and education. The NHS specialist pharmacy service (SPS) provides comprehensive resources and guidance, supporting ATMP use across the healthcare system, as well as covering institutional readiness, governance frameworks and professional development, which are accessible via the dedicated SPS ATMP webpage^​3,4​.

The British Oncology Pharmacy Association (BOPA), a registered charity promoting excellence in oncology pharmacy care, has worked in collaboration with SPS and developed a CAR-T training passport for clinical pharmacists to support oncology professionals with safe delivery. Work is ongoing to develop further training materials and workshops to support future ATMPs as they move in clinical practice (e.g. tumour infiltrating lymphocyte therapies).

A transformation in future clinical medicine 

ATMPs are no longer a distant scientific ambition — they are here, they are transformative and, for many patients, they represent hope where little previously existed.

Realising the full potential of ATMPs demands action across the entire healthcare system. From equipping pharmacy teams with the specialist skills which these complex therapies require, to ensuring patients feel genuinely supported beyond their treatment, every part of the pathway matters.

The momentum is building through national networks, such as the ATTCs, dedicated training initiatives and a growing patient advocacy movement. The question now is not whether ATMPs will reshape clinical practice, but how well prepared we are to deliver them safely, equitably and with the patient firmly at the centre.

This article is brought to you as part of a collaboration with the British Oncology Pharmacy Association (BOPA).

The views expressed in this article are those of the author and are not attributed to any organisation.

BOPA works to cultivate a dynamic and inclusive community dedicated to advancing the field of cancer pharmacy through workforce and professional development, research, innovation, professional leadership, and advocacy. Membership provides access to education, resources and networking opportunities that will help you deliver the very best care to patients living with cancer. For more information visit the BOPA website.