Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy is one of the most transformative breakthroughs in modern medicine. The concept of reprogramming a patient’s own immune cells to recognise and destroy cancer cells was first demonstrated in the 1990s, when researchers successfully
engineered T-cells to express synthetic receptors capable of targeting tumour antigens.
A New Era in Cancer Treatment
After years of refinement, the FDA approved tisagenlecleucel (Kymriah) in August 2017 for the treatment of children and young adults with R/R acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL). Since then, these therapies have transformed outcomes for patients with blood cancers once considered untreatable, achieving remission where traditional chemotherapy or stem
cell transplants had failed.
As of now, there are six FDA-approved CAR T-cell therapies and ten CAR T-cell therapies commercially available globally, with approved indications that include B-cell ALL, large B-cell
lymphoma (LBCL), follicular lymphoma, mantle cell lymphoma, chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) and multiple myeloma. However, the potential use of cell therapies such as CAR T-cell
therapy stretches far beyond oncology, with the potential to offer curative solutions where conventional treatments often fail.
The success of CAR T-cell therapies has inspired broader exploration into cell therapies for autoimmune and infectious diseases, with over a thousand active trials worldwide.1 This rapid expansion has placed unprecedented pressure on global manufacturing networks to deliver therapies at scale without compromising safety or efficacy.
Despite its promise, CAR T-cell therapy remains expensive and difficult to manufacture, with limited effectiveness against solid tumours. In addition, the path from research to the delivery
of these therapies to the patients that need them most remains complex. Developing robust, flexible manufacturing capabilities in the UK is therefore critical to ensuring the nation remains at the forefront of this growing field.
