Challenges in Global Access to CAR-T cells: an Asian Perspective
William Ying Khee Hwang, Satoshi Takahashi, Bryan D. Choi, He Huang, Shin Kawamata, Soo Chin Ng, Pawan Kumar Gupta, Amir Ali Hamidieh, Chaiyong Koaykul, Cospiahadi Irawan, Alok Srivastava
Abstract
The use of cell therapy for clinical applications has seen a dramatic increase in recent years, primarily in oncology, especially with the use of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies. However, there are some barriers to the widespread adoption of CAR-T cell therapies globally, primarily because of the high cost of manufacturing these cells and clinical infrastructure considerations. We reviewed the different strategies adopted across Asia to implement CAR-T cell therapy and found that these included patient assistance programs, close engagement with funders, cost-effectiveness studies, on-site manufacturing of CAR-T cells, and joint ventures between local partners and foreign pharmaceutical companies. Although on-site manufacturing can reduce the cost of genetic engineering and expansion, it does not address many other hidden costs and quality considerations. Future growth in large-scale regional manufacturing, facilitated by cutting-edge science and innovation, could reduce costs through economies of scale and facilitate the eagerly needed global access.