Ishtiaq Khaliq
Lead Gene Therapy Molecular Biology Sciences UCB
Ishtiaq Khaliq is Lead Scientist in Gene Therapy Molecular Biology Sciences at UCB, specializing in analytical development, molecular biology, and process characterization for gene therapy manufacturing. With over a decade of research experience, he brings expertise in digital and next-generation sequencing technologies, GMP/GLP environments, and quality systems. He also serves as a scientific reviewer for leading molecular biology journals.
Seminars
Following a short presentation, participants will take part in a guided roundtable discussion to share perspectives on defining acceptable impurity limits, aligning analytical methods across sites, and ensuring compliance amid shifting standards. This interactive format aims to foster collaborative learning and actionable takeaways that link analytics, safety, and CMC strategy.
- Linking analytics to safety: Examine how advanced quantification methods (dPCR + NGS) deliver deeper insight into impurity identity, size, and packaging- and what this means for dose safety and consistency
- Understanding regulatory misalignment: Discuss where current impurity thresholds and definitions inherited from biologics or vaccine frameworks fail to align with gene therapy products
- Upstream implications: Identify how analytical findings can inform plasmid design, ratio optimization, cell substrate, and nuclease strategies to proactively reduce impurity burden
