From swimming devices to rare disease gene therapies, Pitt inventors never stop: The Innovation Institute reported a record 394 invention disclosures for last fiscal year, and Director Evan Facher says another robust year is ahead.

Progeria Research Foundation, Forge Biologics enter gene therapy mfg. Pact. Forge Biologics will provide process development and manufacturing services to support gene therapy for ultrarare disease. March 3, 2026 Managing Editor, Contract Pharma The Progeria Research Foundation (PRF), a research organization developing treatments for Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome, and Forge Biologics, a manufacturer of gene therapies, entered a manufacturing agreement to support the development and manufacture of SamPro-2, PRF's investigational gene therapy for adolescence with Progeria, an ultrarare and fatal genetic disease characterized by rapid aging. The manufacturing agreement leverages PRF's research-driven Progeria program with Forge's integrated gene therapy capabilities including process development, cGMP manufacturing, FUEL platform technologies, and regulatory consultation. Forge will provide manufacturing services for Investigative New Drug (IND)-enabling studies with SamPro-2, a gene therapy that uses adeno-associated virus (AAV), a commonly utilized delivery vehicle in gene therapy, to deliver a base editing approach designed to correct the single DNA base mutation in the lamin A gene that causes Progeria. "Behind every program like this are patients and families who have waited a long time for progress," said John Maslowski, president and chief executive officer of Forge Biologics. "The Progeria Research Foundation and its Gene Team have shown extraordinary dedication to advancing this science, and we are honored to partner with them. At Forge, we bring that same level of care, expertise, and technical rigor to our manufacturing work as we help advance this program for patients."