Science

Al-Ola A Abdallah: Why I Believe China is Bypassing the U.S. in Cellular Therapy Innovation

Al-Ola A Abdallah/LinkedIn

Aug 3, 2025, 12:23

Al-Ola A Abdallah: Why I Believe China is Bypassing the U.S. in Cellular Therapy Innovation

Al-Ola A Abdallah, Director of Plasma Cell Disorder Program at the University of Kansas Medical Center, shared a post on X:

“Why I believe China is bypassing the U.S. in cellular therapy innovation (CAR-T, gene editing, etc.):

Trial Volume Explosion: China is running more clinical trials in CAR-T and cellular therapies than the U.S. — and starting them faster.

Flexible Regulations: With fewer bureaucratic hurdles, trials in China get approved quicker. Think speed over red tape.

Massive Government Investment: Cell therapy is part of China’s national strategy — they’re pouring billions into biotech under plans like ‘Made in China 2025.’

Integrated Ecosystem: Hospitals, biotech firms, and academia collaborate seamlessly in China. In the U.S., it’s often siloed.

Lower R and D Costs: Research is cheaper in China. This means more experimentation, more innovation, less fear of failure.

Western-Trained Talent Coming Home: PhDs and MDs trained in the U.S. are returning to China — bringing elite knowledge and building world-class labs.

Broader Trial Inclusion: China includes sicker or more diverse patients early on, generating real-world data the FDA might delay or reject.

Global IP and Licensing Deals: Chinese firms are filing patents worldwide and partnering with top biotech companies — becoming serious global players.

Bottom line: China is moving faster, cheaper, and more aggressively in cell therapy. The U.S. still leads in discovery — but China may win in execution. Watch this space.”

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