Gene editing in cell therapy is often discussed in terms of precision and potential, but less often in terms of how the edits are actually made at scale. Delivery remains one of the more persistent constraints, shaping what can move beyond early development. In this conversation, Ester Weijers focuses on that bottleneck, and how changes in delivery strategy can influence both manufacturing and patient access. Her perspective reflects a broader shift from developing individual therapies to enabling multiple programs across the field.
Leadership in a Technical Startup Environment
Ester’s transition from consultancy to CEO highlights another layer of development that runs in parallel to the technology itself.
The move required rapid adaptation across functions. In a small company, leadership is not specialized. It spans operations, finance, business development, and strategy alongside the core technology. High levels of adaptation and a learning mindset are essential. “The phrase that I always have in my head is I have yet to learn and that keeps you growing.”
This mindset reflects the absence of fixed pathways in early-stage biotech leadership. The role evolves with the company, especially as it moves from asset identification toward product development and commercialization.
Her advice to others considering a similar transition is direct. “Don’t hesitate, just go and find the right mentors.” The emphasis is on willingness to take responsibility and learn in real time.
The Delivery Problem in CRISPR-Based Editing
At the core of NTrans’ work is a specific technical challenge: how to deliver CRISPR components into cells in a way that supports both viability and scale.
Ester outlines the limitations of current approaches. “If you take electroporation, the viability of the cells is low and scalability of the manufacturing with electroporation is challenging.” These constraints are not theoretical. They directly affect whether a process can move beyond early-stage development into something that can be manufactured consistently and at scale.
The novel approach NTrans developed is deliberately simple in formulation. Instead of relying on specialized equipment, the process involves incubating cells with the NTraCell formulation. “You simply add the RNP with NTraCell to the cells, wait 1 hour and your cells are edited.” The emphasis here is not only on efficiency but on reproducibility and ease of scale-up.
For developers, the implication is practical. If you are deciding between editing strategies, the delivery method is not just a technical detail. It determines how far a therapy can go in manufacturing and, ultimately, whether it can reach patients at scale.
About Ester Weijers
Ester Weijers is a biotech entrepreneur and CEO of NTrans Technologies, focused on turning complex biology into therapies that can make a real difference for patients. With a background in regenerative medicine and life sciences, her career has taken her through academia, start‑ups, and life‑science consultancy, shaping her ability to move ideas from the lab toward the market.
Ester works where science meets execution. She is comfortable making tough strategic choices, building teams that trust each other, and pushing forward when things get complex. She values close collaboration with founders, investors, scientists and clinicians, knowing that progress happens through strong partnerships. Her focus is on building NTrans into a company that lasts, delivering long‑term value while staying true to the patients.
“If you find collaborators that are aligned with your vision, don’t be hesitant to work together.”
About NTrans Technologies
NTrans Technologies, solves a key challenge in cell and gene therapy: efficient delivery and scalable manufacturing. NTrans leverages nature’s own mechanisms for cellular uptake to ensure efficient and safe therapeutic delivery in CGT.
They developed NTraCell, a transformative platform to bring the CRISPR editing complex into the cell through a simple formulation based on proprietary cell-penetrating peptides. This delivery technology reduces process complexity and manufacturing costs. The GMP-ready technology achieves excellent scalability, gene editing efficiency and cell viability, transforming CGT manufacturing. Lead applications in allogeneic CAR-T therapies are advancing toward Phase I/II clinical studies, directly addressing critical scalability bottlenecks.
NTrans Technologies
2015
Leiden, Netherlands
NTraCell
Scalability as a Constraint on Access
Manufacturing scalability appears repeatedly in Ester’ perspective, not only as an operational issue but as a determinant of access.
She connects process design directly to downstream outcomes. “Scalability is a major aspect and also results in affordability of the treatment or larger margins for pharma.” The framing is deliberately neutral between cost reduction and commercial viability, but the underlying point is the same. Without scalable processes, neither outcome is achievable.
This is particularly relevant in cell therapy, where individualized or complex manufacturing steps can limit the number of patients treated. Technologies that simplify or standardize editing steps can therefore expand patient access.
The company is currently at a preclinical stage and moving toward clinical application through collaborations. The emphasis on partnerships at this stage reflects the opportunity to proof the platform across different use cases.
Shaping the Future of CGT Together
Collaboration is not presented as a general principle but as a practical requirement for advancing complex technologies.
Ester points to alignment as the key condition. “If you find start-ups, scale-ups or collaborators that are aligned with your vision, don’t be hesitant to collaborate.” This applies across academia, startups, and larger industry partners, as long as expectations and roles are clearly defined.
For a platform company, this approach is essential. The technology opportunity lies in multiple contexts, and no single organization can cover all of them independently. Collaboration and building the ecosystem becomes the way to expand the scope and application.
Why Ester’s session matters
This session is grounded in a specific area of expertise: the intersection of gene editing technology and manufacturing feasibility. Ester brings a perspective that combines scientific understanding with operational constraints, particularly around delivery and scalability.
For therapy developers, the relevance lies in how early technical decisions shape downstream possibilities. For leaders, it highlights the transition from focused programs to broader platform strategies. And for the field as a whole, it underscores the role of collaboration in moving from promising technologies to treatments that can be delivered at scale.
