Xin Du, Xingxian Luo, Lanqiu Liu, Yanlin Cao, Yajuan Zhang, Yi Zhang
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
In recent years, cell therapy research and commercialization have significantly accelerated, especially after the US FDA approved CAR-T therapy. While cell therapy now leads immuno-oncology in clinical trials, challenges such as redundant R&D, target clustering, and unmet clinical need remain. Since 2017, China has established a dual-track regulatory framework, facilitating rapid growth in its cell therapy pipeline, making it the second largest in the world. Despite this progress, China faces similar global challenges. Our study covers 2,794 registered cell therapy clinical trials in China, including 2,045 for immune cell, 683 for stem cell, and 66 for other somatic cell. It compares cell therapy products approved in China, the US, EU, and Japan, analyzes the evolving clinical trials landscape, and highlights the characteristics of investigator-initiated trials (IITs) and industry-sponsored trials (ISTs) in China. Our findings indicate that despite the high disease burden and unmet clinical needs for solid tumors in China, over 38% of trials between 2021 and 2023 focused on hematologic malignancies with established targets like CD19 and BCMA. Over 90% of trials are IITs, which show notable clinical differences from ISTs. We recommend that Chinese regulators establish specific guidelines to promote clinical-value-driven research. Stricter regulatory standards should also be implemented to minimize redundant R&D. Additionally, a value-based reimbursement system for within-class targeted cell therapy products may further reduce duplicated R&D efforts. Given the prevalence of IITs, specifying requirements for IITs could create a new pathway to accelerate product development and better address unmet clinical needs in China.
期刊介绍:
The Journal of Hematology & Oncology, an open-access journal, publishes high-quality research covering all aspects of hematology and oncology, including reviews and research highlights on "hot topics" by leading experts.
Given the close relationship and rapid evolution of hematology and oncology, the journal aims to meet the demand for a dedicated platform for publishing discoveries from both fields. It serves as an international platform for sharing laboratory and clinical findings among laboratory scientists, physician scientists, hematologists, and oncologists in an open-access format. With a rapid turnaround time from submission to publication, the journal facilitates real-time sharing of knowledge and new successes.