Cell therapy (CT) products must be tested and then released for distribution to ensure that products that do not meet specified requirements are either not distributed or are handled appropriately to ensure the safety of patients. A challenge is testing and release of novel cell therapy products. These seemingly simple issues actually present many significant challenges for CT Laboratories. How many replicates should be performed? When is repeat testing permitted and how is it handled? How do you release a product from overseas in the middle of the night? Who needs to approve and be notified of exceptional release of products that do not pass all testing and how is that handled? What type of testing is applicable to novel cell therapy products? These challenges and how they are met will vary depending on the size of the laboratory and the complexity of the manufacturing process. A panel of speakers from facilities of different sizes and organizational structures will discuss how they would handle different testing and release scenarios. Audience response devices will also be utilized in what promises to be a highly interactive session.