Abeona Therapeutics Activates CHOP as Sixth Qualified Treatment Center for ZEVASKYN Gene Therapy

Expanding the qualified treatment network for an autologous cell sheet-based gene therapy carries supply chain and handling obligations that extend well beyond standard biologics distribution, and Abeona Therapeutics has added the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) as its sixth Qualified Treatment Center (QTC) for ZEVASKYN (prademagene zamikeracel), broadening east coast access for patients with recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB).

ZEVASKYN is an autologous therapy: a patient's own skin cells are transduced ex vivo with a replication-incompetent retroviral vector carrying the functional COL7A1 gene, then returned as gene-modified cellular sheets for surgical application. That patient-specific manufacturing loop means each QTC must satisfy specialized chain-of-identity, cryopreservation, and handling protocols that intersect directly with GMP supply chain requirements and the site's own quality management infrastructure. Qualification of a new center is therefore a controlled process, not a simple credentialing step.

CHOP's Epidermolysis Bullosa Multidisciplinary Clinic, led by Section Chief of Dermatology Dr. Marissa J. Perman, brings established pediatric dermatology and cell therapy capability to the network. For QA and regulatory leads tracking the ZEVASKYN rollout, the addition of a high-volume academic pediatric center on the east coast signals a deliberate geographic expansion strategy, with each site activation representing a discrete quality event requiring documented readiness across receipt, storage, and administration procedures.

Abeona's patient support program, Abeona Assist, provides insurance navigation, financial assistance, and travel logistics for eligible patients, reducing the access friction that often accompanies therapies with a limited and geographically concentrated QTC footprint. The program's operational layer is relevant to site coordinators managing patient scheduling against the therapy's bespoke manufacturing timeline.

With six QTCs now active, the measurable benchmark for the ZEVASKYN network will be how consistently sites can sustain the chain-of-identity and handling standards required to support single-application surgical outcomes across a growing and geographically distributed patient population.

Source: Abeona Therapeutics Inc. via GlobeNewswire, 11 May 2026.