Department for Cell Therapy
Head of department
The Department for Cell Therapy at Oslo University Hospital brings together clinical cell collection, cell processing, GMP manufacturing, translational research, quality management and the development of advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs). Located at Radiumhospitalet, the Department supports established cellular treatments and the translation of new cell and gene therapies from research into clinical use. The Department is led by Dag Josefsen, MD, PhD, who has extensive clinical, scientific and managerial experience in cell therapy, haematopoietic stem-cell transplantation, cancer immunotherapy and GMP manufacturing. As Head of Department, he has overall responsibility for its clinical services, personnel, quality systems and regulated manufacturing infrastructure.
Supporting access to commercial CAR-T therapy
The Department has a crucial role in enabling Norwegian patients to receive commercially available CAR-T therapies. It collects the patient’s white blood cells by apheresis and performs quality-assured preparation, labelling, documentation and transfer of the cellular starting material to the commercial manufacturer. The final CAR-T product is returned to the hospital for administration. Through specialised personnel, controlled procedures and close coordination with clinical teams and manufacturers, the Department provides the operational link between Norwegian patients and commercial CAR-T production.