Our Mission
Laboratory-generated autologous skin substitute products are essential ATMPs (Advanced Therapeutic Medicinal Products) for patients suffering from severe burns. Despite their life-saving role for over four decades, the availability of these skin substitute products has significantly declined over the past 20 years due to increasingly complex regulatory frameworks and insufficient coordination across Europe. ESENBURN was created to address this critical gap through a comprehensive approach. We have created an Europe-wide collaboration to ensure that all severely burned patients can benefit from these crucial therapies in the future.
At ESENBURN, our mission is to bridge critical gap by:
- Expand, facilitate and secure the implementation and use of hospital-based production facilities for autologous skin substitutes
- Support the development of advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs) in the preclinical phase
- Promote regulatory clarity and reduce unnecessary barriers
- Train clinical burn teams to ensure optimal use of laboratory-generated autologous skin substitutes
We are committed to ensuring equitable access to autologous skin substitute products for all severely burned patients across Europe. Through collaboration, harmonization, and training, we strive to enhance long-term outcomes and promote public health.
Origins
ESENBURN began in March 2023 as a small working group called ESEN – the European Skin Engineering Network – launched under the umbrella of the European Burns Association (EBA). The initiative was led by the team at the Children’s Hospital Zurich with the aim of fostering exchange among European hospital-based GMP facilities involved in skin production.
Since then, ESEN has grown into a broader initiative that supports GMP laboratories across Europe in the development and production of tissue-engineered skin therapies.
COST Action
In May 2024, under the lead of the Lyon team, ESENBURN was approved as COST Action CA23140 (Boost and Secure ATMP for Burn Patients; Action CA23140 – COST), commencing October 2024 and active through October 2028. Aligned with our mission for patient access, ESENBURN is structured into four Working Groups:
- WG1: Boost and secure access to ATMPs for every burn patient
- WG2: Establish standardized burn models for pre-clinical validation
- WG3: Enhance clinical center expertise in ATMP applications
- WG4: Build a comprehensive clinical registry for severely burned patients