Yan Leyfman, Medical Oncologist, Co-Founder and Executive Director of MedNews Week, shared a post on X about a recent article by Alex Y Ge, et al published in Blood Journal:
“Global access to CAR T-cell therapy remains highly uneven
CAR T-cell therapies have transformed outcomes for many patients with relapsed or refractory hematologic malignancies—but access remains limited worldwide.
Key findings from a global HTA analysis (through Aug 2025):
- Only 44% of FDA-approved CAR T indications are reimbursed across G20 health systems
- Among 18 FDA-approved CAR T product–indication pairs, just 48% received positive reimbursement recommendations
- Median time from FDA approval to HTA decision: ~1.5 years Common barriers cited by HTA bodies:
- Single-arm trial designs • Small study populations
- Immature data on survival, safety, and quality of life
- High upfront costs tied to complex manufacturing
Why this matters: Even among high- and upper–middle-income countries, there are major disparities in patient access to lifesaving CAR T therapies.
Bridging this gap will require innovative trial designs, new reimbursement frameworks, and policy solutions alongside scientific advances.
Bottom line: Breakthrough therapies do not guarantee equitable access—system-level innovation is urgently needed to ensure CAR T reaches the patients who need it most.”
Title: Global access to commercial CAR T cells: A cross-sectional study of health technology assessment in the G20
Authors: Alex Y Ge, William B Feldman, Martin F Kaiser, Kai Rejeski, Gloria Iacoboni, Gaurav Narula, Jason Yongsheng Chan, Michael Dickinson, Aaron S Kesselheim, Edward Robert Scheffer Cliff
Read the Full Article on Blood Journal.
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