International Committee Accomplishments

ASGCT’s International Committee has been part of the Society since its inception. In 2007, the committee drafted a set of goals, and most have been accomplished. These achievements are the result of the commitment by the members of the International Committee. Their dedication to ensuring that ASGCT meets the needs of members both domestic and international has helped the Society and has had a positive impact on the field.  

Organize an international symposium for the Annual Meeting 

For many years, the International Committee has been responsible for developing an Annual Meeting symposium. Typically, the symposium highlights the work being done by gene and cell therapy investigators internationally.

At this year’s symposium, In Vivo Delivery: Lessons From the World, speakers will share the best new research from the UK, New Zealand, China, and South Korea. Join them on Saturday, May 20, 10:15 a.m.- 12 p.m. PT.

Liaise with other international societies 

Informally, the committee is responsible for working to strengthen ASGCT's links with other international societies and gene and cell therapy centers. ASGCT now works closely with several other international gene therapy societies, recently partnering with both the European Society of Gene and Cell Therapy (ESGCT) and the Japanese Society of Gene and Cell Therapy (JSGCT) on symposia at the ASGCT Annual Meeting.

The committee will also participate in partnered symposia at both ESGCT’s Annual Congress and JSGCT’s Annual Meeting. The members of the International Committee have helped form and support these collaborative relationships. These symposia offer a unique opportunity to collaborate, forging new connections across the globe. New relationships and the exchange of ideas allows for information sharing and helps spark new advancements in gene and cell therapy. 

Even in the past three years, as the COVID-19 pandemic restricted international travel, ASGCT members from outside of the US have worked late into the evenings to promote opportunities for collaborative research. Starting in 2020, ASGCT partnered with the Brazilian Association of Cell and Gene Therapy (ABTCel-Gen) to host a virtual symposium. In this symposium, speakers with experience in clinical development shared their considerations on how to successfully initiate clinical trials in Brazil. Hearing from both local researchers and Americans with experience in clinical development is crucial to the initiation of new clinical trials; which expands access to gene therapies for patients in need.  

Develop a registry of gene therapy centers around the world that are doing clinically oriented research 

In 2021, ASGCT expanded our existing Clinical Trials Finder to include gene and cell therapy trials outside of the US. This tool can be used to identify gene therapy centers around the world. This tool was created to centralize information about gene therapy clinical trials. Clinicians utilize it to advise their patients.  

In addition to these successes, ASGCT membership continues to grow in all regions of the world. Last year, individuals from Iran, Norway, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Ukraine joined ASGCT for the first time. Over the last three years, members based outside of the US have consistently made up 20% of the overall membership. Including international audiences in ASGCT is vital to the success of the society and to the field. The Society believes that extending its mission outside of the US by advancing knowledge, awareness, and education that increases access to gene therapies across the globe.  

Samantha Kay is ASGCT's Global Outreach Manager​. 

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