Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Launches Global Partnership to Establish a CAR-T Therapy Program in Brazil

$4 million grant will fund state-of-the-art CAR-T cell manufacturing center

PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 7, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) announced its partnership with the Brazilian National Cancer institute (INCA) to build a state-of-the-art CAR-T cell production center at INCA, expanding access to immunotherapy for pediatric cancer patients in and around Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Made possible with a $4 million grant from the Brazilian Ministry of Health, CHOP cell therapy specialists will offer their expertise and resources to oversee this initiative.

CAR-T cell therapy, which harnesses a patient's own immune cells to kill cancer cells, has revolutionized the treatment of cancer across the globe. CHOP, in collaboration with the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, pioneered the research and development of the world's first personalized CAR-T cell therapy, which was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2017. Since then, CHOP has treated more than 500 children using CAR-T cell therapy, more than any other pediatric hospital in the world.

"While immunotherapy is now generally available for pediatric patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) in Brazil, the public health system struggles to pay for its steep price," said Stephan Kadauke, MD, PhD, Associate Director of the Cell Based Therapy Laboratory (CBTL) at CHOP. "Traditional CAR-T cell manufacturing is costly, in part due to its complex, lengthy process that requires highly trained staff to manage every step of the manufacturing operations."

CHOP's team of physicians and scientists led by Kadauke and Stephan Grupp, MD, PhD, Section Chief of the Cellular Therapy and Transplant Section (CTTS), aim to introduce this lifesaving therapy to low- and middle-income countries, like Brazil, at a fraction of the cost of commercial cell therapy products through automated CAR-T cell manufacturing using a closed system platform.

"If you want to do the kind of true outreach that helps a large number of people instead of the few who can travel to specialized centers abroad, you need to do it at the point of care where people need the therapies," said Grupp, who is also the Inaugural Director of the Kelly Center for Cancer Immunotherapy at CHOP. "Our goal is to make this life-saving treatment more affordable and accessible to patients around the world."

Traditional manufacturing of CAR-T cells requires clean rooms or controlled environments that reduce the risk of contamination to produce clinical-grade products. However, with the Prodigy machine and its closed system set-up, it maintains its own controlled environment, reducing the need for stringent air handling to produce clinical-grade CAR-T cells. The automation capabilities also reduce the training needed for specialized technologists, all key factors that broaden access and reduce cost.

CHOP's CBTL and CTTS have been utilizing Prodigy machines to manufacture CAR-T cells of patients with B-ALL since 2022 and have developed protocols and guidelines approved by the FDA to treat patients at the hospital.

To learn more about this initiative, read more in this Cornerstone blog.

About Children's Hospital of Philadelphia:
A non-profit, charitable organization, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia was founded in 1855 as the nation's first pediatric hospital. Through its long-standing commitment to providing exceptional patient care, training new generations of pediatric healthcare professionals, and pioneering major research initiatives, the hospital has fostered many discoveries that have benefited children worldwide. Its pediatric research program is among the largest in the country. The institution has a well-established history of providing advanced pediatric care close to home through its CHOP Care Network, which includes more than 50 primary care practices, specialty care and surgical centers, urgent care centers, and community hospital alliances throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey, as well as the Middleman Family Pavilion and its dedicated pediatric emergency department in King of Prussia. In addition, its unique family-centered care and public service programs have brought Children's Hospital of Philadelphia recognition as a leading advocate for children and adolescents. For more information, visit https://www.chop.edu. 

Contact: Jennifer Lee
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
(267) 426-6084
[email protected]

SOURCE Children's Hospital of Philadelphia