Point-of-care CAR T manufacturing solutions: can 1 model fit all?
Álvaro Urbano-Ispizúa, Nirav N. Shah, Natasha Kekre
Abstract
Point: academic point of care alone can bring equitable and affordable access to CAR T-cell therapeutics One of the most important advances in the 21st century in the fight against cancer has been the development of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells in the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), and multiple myeloma (MM).Unfortunately, to date, access to this lifesaving therapy has been limited to very few patients worldwide.The reasons for this are, among others, their very high cost, the lack of interest of pharmaceutical companies in small or lowgross domestic product countries, the limited number of CAR T cells that can be prepared in a centralized manufacturing model, and the endemic slow incorporation of innovative, complex, and expensive treatments in many health systems.The pharmaceutical model of CAR T cells is focused on meeting the values of company shareholders, not filling the needs of patients who have no treatment options left.Here, we will detail the academic models looking to solve this dilemma.