Quarter in Review: A High-Momentum Start to 2026 with Key Operational and Scientific Milestones
We are excited to share our quarterly reflection on what has been a dynamic start to 2026 at CCRM Nordic. The first three months of the year have been defined by incredible energy as we strengthen our leadership, finalize our world-class infrastructure, and achieve international scientific recognition.
“The momentum we’ve built this quarter is a testament to the maturing landscape of advanced therapies in the Nordics. By expanding our team of experts and thus taking clear steps towards finalizing our manufacturing infrastructure, we are ensuring that groundbreaking science has a clear, scalable path to the patients who need it most.” – Fredrik Wessberg, CEO
Expansion of Operational and Manufacturing Capabilities
We are rapidly advancing toward our goal of establishing a world-class manufacturing facility. The build-out of our state-of-art GMP facility is progressing exactly to the schedule, and we are pleased to announce that our Environmental Monitoring System (EMS) is now installed. This milestone marks a critical step as we prepare for upcoming qualification phases later this year.
To support this growth, we have significantly strengthened our operations:
- Nina Herne has joined as Chief Operating Officer (COO) to drive operational capabilities and support long-term strategic growth.
- Thomas Denton has been appointed as Head of Production, leading the expansion of the MSAT and Manufacturing teams.
- We also welcomed new talent in Swaroop Krishna, Azar Tarakameh, Fatemeh Razaghi, and Ainsley Huang and Amit Saxena.
Scientific Excellence: The RESET Grant
A standout milestone for the quarter was the RESET project being awarded the competitive Eurostars grant to develop Europe’s first standardized CD19-targeted CAR-NK therapy for autoimmune diseases.
“RESET brings together world-class expertise in immunology, manufacturing, and clinical development to solve one of the most pressing challenges in cell therapy: how to make safe, scalable, and affordable products for widespread patient use,” said Michael Delahaye, CTO at CCRM Nordic. “Our collaborative work in co-developing cost-efficient lentiviral vector manufacturing is essential for making allogeneic CAR-NK therapies truly accessible.”
The project is a collaborative effort with partners Glycostem Therapeutics, Karolinska Institutet, and Erasmus MC, focused on treating Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) and other B cell-driven conditions. Read more here: https://ccrmnordic.se/news/eurostars-grant-award/
Accelerating #SCALE and Regional Workforce Development
The #SCALE initiative, a regional effort funded by Västra Götalandsregionen and the European Union to bridge the ATMP competency gap, was officially scaled up this quarter
Regional Growth Opportunity: Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) based in Region Västra Götaland can currently apply for hands-on training at specialized providers like CCRM Nordic free of charge until 2028. Read more here.
International Community Engagement
CCRM Nordic continues to drive the “ATMP 2030” vision through active participation in the global life science ecosystem:
- CEO Fredrik Wessberg participated in the launch of ATMP Catalonia during Barcelona Health Innovation Week to discuss the scaling of gene and cell therapies.
- Technical teams joined international experts at the Dutch ATMP Summit and the NK & ILC Symposium to explore future-proofing manufacturing and emerging concepts in innate immunology.
- Lead Scientist Arvind M Padma shared strategies for standardizing CAR-T quality control in a global webinar hosted in partnership with QIAGEN.
CCRM Nordic extends its gratitude to the partners and stakeholders who continue to support the mission of making the road smoother for advanced therapies.