- In May 2023, Bristol Myers Squibb received approval from the European Commission for its CD19-directed CAR T-cell therapy, Breyanzi (lisocabtagene maraleucel), for the treatment of adult patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) who have relapsed or are refractory after one or more lines of systemic therapy. This expanded approval significantly broadens the patient population eligible for Breyanzi in Europe, further establishing CAR-T cell therapy as a crucial option for patients with challenging hematological malignancies
- In April 2023, Novartis entered into a three-year agreement to manufacture clinical batches of "Carvykti," a CAR-T cell therapy developed by Legend Biotech and Johnson & Johnson for multiple myeloma. This collaboration underscores the growing inter-company reliance and specialization within the CAR-T manufacturing landscape to meet increasing demand. Simultaneously, Gilead Sciences reported significant sales in its cancer portfolio, primarily driven by "Yescarta," demonstrating the continued strong commercial performance of approved CAR-T therapies
- In March 2023, CARGO Therapeutics successfully secured USD 200 million in an oversubscribed Series funding round to expand its portfolio of next-generation CAR-T cell treatments. This significant investment indicates strong investor confidence in the future potential of CAR-T cell therapy
- In February 2023, the market saw continued advancements in CAR-T constructs aimed at improving safety profiles, including the development of suicide-switch mechanisms to mitigate adverse effects. Efforts to develop "off-the-shelf" allogeneic CAR-T cell therapies are also gaining traction, promising to address scalability and cost barriers associated with current autologous treatments. At this time, there were 685 active CAR-T clinical trials globally, demonstrating robust research and development activity despite prior pandemic impacts
- In January 2023, Gilead received FDA approval for a change in manufacturing processes for YESCARTA (axicabtagene ciloleucel) to reduce the median turnaround time in the US from 16 days to 14 days. This improvement in manufacturing efficiency is crucial for patient access and highlights the industry's focus on streamlining the complex CAR-T production process
