Target audience
Healthcare professionals and scientists interested in the emerging field of advanced therapies, including pharmacists, physicians, medical researchers, biologists, healthcare engineers, biostatisticians
Introduction
Advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs) such as cell therapy, tissue-engineered medicine or immunotherapy, as well as innovative medicines like phage therapy or nanomedicine, are pushing the boundaries of currently available treatments. Oncology, reconstructive surgery, orthopaedic surgery, neurosurgery, blood transfusion, infectious diseases – clinical applications are numerous.
Providing healthcare professionals with a thorough understanding of these therapeutic breakthroughs is essential to ensure the effective transition of these innovative treatments and care techniques from the bench to the bedside.
Objectives
- Discover therapeutic advances in standardized transplants, cell-based products, blood products, complex and personalized medicines and innovative drug combinations
- Acquire specialized knowledge of the different innovative therapies and their interaction with biological tissues
- Understand the good manufacturing practices (GMP) required for these new types of medicines
- Develop skills in quality control, quality assurance, and regulatory affairs
- Understand the determinants of clinical applications of ATMPs and combinatorial therapies
Cursus & Certification
The Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) in Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products is combining face-to-face and synchronous online teaching. It totals 389 hours of training, divided into 7 modules.
- Face-to-face teaching (70h) Plenary sessions, panel discussions, practical laboratory activities, visits of labs and manufacturing facilities
- Online teaching (49h) Synchronous online teaching, video conferencing, panel discussions
- Individual work (270h) Readings, work on case studies, report writing
Title obtained: Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) in Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products delivered by the universities of Lausanne and Geneva, 16 ECTS credits.
Consult the Academic Regulations.
Programme
Module 1
Cellular therapy – from bench to bedside
14h face-to-face teaching + 7h online teaching + ~ 45h individual work
Thursday, November 19, 2026 / Friday, November 20, 2026 / Friday, December 11, 2026
- Principles of translational science
Cell biology / Preclinical relevance and evaluation / Biological products specificities - Types of cellular therapy
Sources of cells / Clinical targets / Clinical strategies / Histocompatibility - Clinical trials of cellular therapy
Examples of human applications: burn patients, orthopedics, neuroscience - Regulatory aspects of cellular therapy
Basis in EU and Switzerland for Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), Good Clinical Practices (GCP) & ATMPs specificities - Production of cellular therapy
GMP / Clean room / Manufacturing technologies / T cells - Special cases
Fecal Microbiota Transplantation / Clinical targets / Production - Visit of a GMP cellular manufacturing facility
Module leaders: Dr Jean-François Brunet and Prof. Michel Prudent
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Module 2
Immunology
7h online teaching + ~15h individual work
Thursday, January 14, 2027
- Introduction to immunology
Organs, tissues, functions of the immune system / Innate & adaptive immunity - Analytical immunology
Overview / Biomarkers / Immune correlates - Limitations of immunotherapies
Tolerance and autoimmunity / Toxicity / Side effects
Module leader: Prof. Alexandre Harari
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Module 3
Oncology: Innovative therapies
14h face-to-face teaching + 7h online teaching + ~ 45h individual work
Friday, January 15, 2027 / Thursday, February 4, 2027 / Friday, February 5, 2027
- Immunotherapy
Cellular and drug immunotherapies / Checkpoint inhibitors / Monoclonal antibodies - Personalised cellular immunotherapy
Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T cell / Vaccines / HSCT / Personalised medicine
Module leader: Dr Francesco Ceppi
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Module 4
Transfusion medicine – science and technology from donor to patient
14h face-to-face teaching + 7h online teaching + ~ 45h individual work
Thursday, March 11, 2027 / Thursday, March 18, 2027 / Friday, March 19, 2027
- Introduction to transfusion medicine
Historical developments / Transfusion chain / Blood groups / Immunohematology / Transfusion-related risks - Biology and biochemistry of blood products
Red blood cells / Platelets / Fresh frozen Plasma - Medical aspects
Needs and use of blood products / Apheresis / Hematopoietic stem cells / Clinical cases and practices - Production and regulatory aspects
Blood & special products preparation and manufacturing / Regulations and GMP - Visits of production site and diagnostic labs
Module leader: Prof. Michel Prudent
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Module 5
Combinatorial strategies in cancer treatment
10.5h face-to-face teaching + 14h online teaching + ~ 60h individual work
Thursday, April 15, 2027 / Friday, April 16, 2027 / Friday, April 23, 2027 / Friday, May 21, 2027 (morning)
- Combination therapy
Advantages vs. monotherapy / Combinations strategies in various cancer types / Anti-angiogenic immunotherapy / Pharmacokinetics & pharmacodynamics / Drug resistance principles / Cell death in cancer therapy - Preclinical development
Drug repurposing / Drug interactions and synergies / Immunotargeting / Cell mitosis - Clinical development
Clinical trial development / Successful clinical trials examples / New combination strategies for cancer treatment design - Visit of research laboratories of cell biology and pharmacology
Module leader: Prof. Patrycja Nowak-Sliwinska
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Module 6
Nanomedicines
3.5h face-to-face teaching + ~ 15h individual work
Friday, May 21, 2027 (afternoon)
- Introduction to nanomedicines
Nanomedicines types / Nanotechnology applications to drug therapies and vaccines / Pharmacokinetics & pharmacodynamics - Nanomedicines technology
Physiochemical properties biocompatibility / Nanoformulations / Critical Quality Attributes (CQAs) - Production and regulatory aspects
FDA and EMA regulations / The many challenges of nanomedicines development, production and clinical practices
Module leader: Prof. Gerrit Borchard
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Module 7
Phage therapy
14h face-to-face teaching + 7h online teaching + ~ 45h individual work
Wednesday, June 9, 2027 / Thursday, June 10, 2027 / Friday, June 11, 2027 (morning) / Friday, June 18, 2027 (morning)
- Introduction to phage therapy
Antibiotic resistance / Bacteriophages / History of phage discovery & phage therapy - Phage banks and production
Personalised phage therapy / Phages production processes - Phage-based pharmaceutical products regulations
Regulation challenges / GMP Basics - Modern translational studies and clinical studies
Phage-antibiotic synergism / Human applications - Practical course
Bacteriophage isolation from the environment
Module leader: Dr Grégory Resch
Organisation
- Faculty of Biology and Medicine (FBM), University of Lausanne (UNIL), Switzerland
- Faculty of Science, University of Geneva (UNIGE), Switzerland
Steering committee
Co-presidents
- Prof. Chantal Csajka, Full professor, Director of the Centre for Research and Innovation in Clinical Pharmaceutical Sciences, Lausanne University Hospital and UNIL; School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, UNIGE
- Prof. Michel Prudent, Associate Professor, Head of Innovation and Therapeutic Products, Transfusion Interrégionale CRS SA; Centre for Research and Innovation in Clinical Pharmaceutical Sciences, Lausanne University Hospital and UNIL
Members
- Dr Francesco Ceppi, Lecturer and Medical Oncologist, Unit of Pediatric Oncology Hematology, Lausanne University Hospital and UNIL
- Prof. Patrycja Nowak-Sliwinska, Associate Professor, Head of the Molecular Pharmacology Group, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, UNIGE
- Dr Grégory Resch, Senior Lecturer, Head of the Bacteriophage and Phage Therapy Laboratory, Centre for Research and Innovation in Clinical Pharmaceutical Sciences, Lausanne University Hospital and UNIL
Scientific committee
President
- Dr Grégory Resch, Senior Lecturer, Head of the Bacteriophage and Phage Therapy Laboratory, Centre for Research and Innovation in Clinical Pharmaceutical Sciences, Lausanne University Hospital and UNIL
Members
- Dr Jean-François Brunet, Head of the Cell Manufacturing Center, Service of Pharmacy, Lausanne University Hospital and UNIL
- Prof. Alexandre Harari, Associate Professor, Head of the Tumor Immunology laboratory, Department of Oncology, Lausanne University Hospital and UNIL
- Dr Francesco Ceppi, Lecturer and Medical Oncologist, Unit of Pediatric Oncology Hematology, Lausanne University Hospital and UNIL
- Prof. Patrycja Nowak-Sliwinska, Associate Professor, Head of the Molecular Pharmacology Group, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, UNIGE
- Prof. Michel Prudent, Associate Professor, Head of Innovation and Therapeutic Products, Transfusion Interrégionale CRS SA; Centre for Research and Innovation in Clinical Pharmaceutical Sciences, Lausanne University Hospital and UNIL
- Prof. Gerrit Borchard, Full Professor, Head of the Biopharmaceutics laboratory, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, UNIGE
Pour toutes les questions académiques
Marion Chassot, Programme coordinator; Center for Research and Innovation in Clinical Pharmaceutical Sciences, Lausanne University Hospital
Practical Information
Course venue
Online and onsite:
- Lausanne University Hospital and Campus UNIL-EPFL
- Blood transfusion center, Bern
Course fee
6,000.– Swiss francs*
* Payment in instalments possible
Enroll
Admission requirements
- Hold a bachelor’s or master’s degree from a Swiss or foreign university (HEU), from a University of Applied Sciences (HES), or hold another title deemed equivalent by the Steering Committee, and
- Have a minimum of 1 year of professional experience in the health care field
Registration
Admission on file to submit to Formation Continue UNIL-EPFL. Please join to the registration form:
- Letter of motivation
- CV
- Copies of diplomas obtained
Registration deadline
June 8, 2026
Number of participants is limited
In the media
- “La médecine personnalisée manque de spécialistes”, article (in French) published in the daily newspaper “24 heures” on May 12, 2023
- “Une formation pour suivre les dernières thérapies de pointe”, article (in French) published in the UNIL magazine “Allez Savoir!” on May 31, 2023
