Cell and gene therapy developers must build continuity of engagement to create trust in the modalities, according to a report by Bayer’s venture capital wing.
The investment group, Leaps by Bayer, worked with Boston Consulting Group and Ipsos UK on the report. Across 21 interviews with people in China, Germany and the U.S., the collaborators collected evidence of how different demographic groups view breakthrough science and what methods can help shape public perceptions.
Bayer concluded that “trust grows when the same organizations and people show up over time, update information as evidence evolves, acknowledge limitations and report both successes and setbacks.” That continuity is particularly important in the cell and gene therapy space because of the need for long-term follow-up, Bayer said. Bayer’s cell therapy pipeline includes a phase 3 Parkinson’s disease program.
Some interviewees expressed wariness about the modalities, reflecting their uneasiness about “editing” or “replacing” cells and genes and fears scientists might be overconfident about complex systems. The interviews revealed limited awareness of novel modalities beyond gene editing, Bayer said, and as such, people’s fears focused on genetic changes.
The survey suggests the impact fears have on the uptake of cell and gene therapies will depend on the unmet need. Even people Bayer classed as skeptics showed a willingness to try established advanced therapies when facing life-threatening conditions, although they are unlikely to be early adopters and are cautious about preventive uses of the modalities.
Skepticism has commercial implications for biopharma companies. While some cell and gene therapies address unmet needs, others offer one-time treatments for conditions that are effectively managed by the ongoing administration of conventional therapies. In such markets, physicians and patients need to be confident in the long-term safety of the advanced therapy to switch from their existing treatment.
“The central challenge isn't convincing people that cures are desirable, but showing that those cures will be safe, fairly distributed and well-governed,” Bayer said in the report. “Success hinges on transparent benefit-risk data and credible oversight systems that convert theoretical support into real-world acceptance.”
Bayer also evaluated attitudes toward artificial intelligence in health and medicine, genomic techniques in agriculture and cultivated meat. Across the areas, Bayer found Gen Z and Millennial respondents were more likely to be optimists. The survey identified skeptics, a group more suspicious of corporate motives, among Gen Z and Baby Boomer respondents.