Cambridge, U.K.-based Astrazeneca plc is looking to Asia, specifically China and Singapore, to build an innovative cancer-focused pipeline filled with antibody-drug conjugates (ADC), monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) and cell therapies.
As South Korea’s Curocell Inc. looks to develop the country’s first homegrown CAR T-cell therapy, CEO Gunsoo Kim highlighted rising and falling trends in the global CAR T development space at Bio Korea 2024.
India’s first indigenous CAR T therapy is expected to cost around $50,000, nearly one-tenth of the price of top-selling CAR Ts in the U.S. India President Droupadi Murmu officially launched Immunoadoptive Cell Therapy’s (Immunoact) NexCAR19 (actalycabtagene autoleucel), a CD19-targeted CAR T, and dedicated it to the nation in April 2024.
As South Korea’s Curocell Inc. looks to develop the country’s first homegrown CAR T-cell therapy, CEO Gunsoo Kim highlighted rising and falling trends in the global CAR T development space at Bio Korea 2024.
India’s first indigenous CAR T therapy is expected to cost around $50,000, nearly one-tenth of the price of top-selling CAR Ts in the U.S. India President Droupadi Murmu officially launched Immunoadoptive Cell Therapy’s (Immunoact) NexCAR19 (actalycabtagene autoleucel), a CD19-targeted CAR T, and dedicated it to the nation in April 2024.
Despite what University of Pennsylvania (Penn) immunotherapy pioneer Carl June referred to as a “cold slap last November” – a launched investigation by the U.S. FDA into a possible link between CAR T-cell immunotherapies and secondary cancers – new unpublished studies by Penn and Stanford University highlight the rarity of such cases.
As Poseida Therapeutics Inc. anticipates reporting further data this year from allogeneic CAR T-cell therapy P-MUC1C-ALLO1, for which Astellas Pharma Inc. has nabbed first negotiation rights, the two companies inked a second deal aimed at combining their respective cell therapy platforms in an early stage collaboration targeting solid tumors.
As Poseida Therapeutics Inc. anticipates reporting further data this year from allogeneic CAR T-cell therapy P-MUC1C-ALLO1, for which Astellas Pharma Inc. has nabbed first negotiation rights, the two companies inked a second deal aimed at combining their respective cell therapy platforms in an early stage collaboration targeting solid tumors.
The process of manufacturing autologous T-cell therapies is technically challenging when compared with other oncology drugs, making the overall cost of developing CAR T therapies significantly higher. A challenging reimbursement environment for drugs listed on China’s National Reimbursement Drug List also means that most patients will have to pay out of pocket to access CAR T therapies. Taken together, complex logistics – production, manufacturing and supply chain – and complicated administration requirements are key bottlenecks that inflate the input costs involved in developing these specialized treatment options.
The process of manufacturing autologous T-cell therapies is technically challenging when compared with other oncology drugs, making the overall cost of developing CAR T therapies significantly higher. A challenging reimbursement environment for drugs listed on China’s National Reimbursement Drug List also means that most patients will have to pay out of pocket to access CAR T therapies. Taken together, complex logistics – production, manufacturing and supply chain – and complicated administration requirements are key bottlenecks that inflate the input costs involved in developing these specialized treatment options.