As cell and gene therapy enters a pivotal year, Treehill Partners’ Founder Ali Pashazadeh joined Dr. Miguel Forte, CEO of Kiji Therapeutics and President of ISCT, in an in-depth feature for Cell & Gene examining the forces that will define the CGT landscape in 2026.
The feature, authored by Editor-in-Chief Erin Harris, explores how geography, regulatory agility, and investment dynamics are reshaping the competitive environment for CGT developers worldwide. With Asia — particularly China — accelerating clinical trial activity and company formation, the article underscores why speed, flexibility, and resilience will determine which companies and regions thrive.
Pashazadeh offered an operational perspective across several critical dimensions:
Manufacturing and Regulatory Alignment: Pashazadeh highlighted the direct link between regulatory foresight and execution capability, noting that companies integrating quality infrastructure with workforce readiness in the right locations will scale faster and reduce friction — particularly as trials become increasingly global and multi-jurisdictional.
In Vivo Therapies — Promise and Complexity: While in vivo approaches offer compelling advantages including simpler supply chains and compatibility with traditional pharma models, Pashazadeh cautioned that execution remains far from trivial. Clinical trial design, patient monitoring, and manufacturing at scale continue to present major hurdles that demand careful operational planning.
Capital Strategy and Financial Resilience: With funding uncertainty persisting, Pashazadeh emphasized the growing importance of creative financing strategies. Companies are increasingly turning to partnerships, licensing deals, and co-development arrangements alongside traditional venture capital, and the organizations that thrive will be those that maintain execution discipline while diversifying their funding sources.
Global Expansion and Operational Readiness: Pashazadeh stressed that being in the right geography with the right team is not simply a strategic preference — it is the difference between accelerating a program and getting stuck. Success requires aligning people, process, and strategy in every geography a company operates in.
The feature reflects Treehill Partners’ ongoing commitment to providing actionable strategic guidance at the intersection of clinical development, operational execution, and commercial planning. With over 12 years of experience advising biotech companies, Treehill continues to help CGT developers navigate complex global landscapes with clarity and discipline.
Read the full article: Global Shifts And Strategic Resilience Will Shape CGT In 2026 – https://www.cellandgene.com/doc/global-shifts-and-strategic-resilience-will-shape-cgt-in-2026-0001 —
Cell & Gene, January 7, 2026