CAR-T Cell Therapy Manufacturing

Overview

Autologous CAR-T manufacturing is constrained by 2-7+ week vein-to-vein times, up to 31% patient dropout, inherited 20-30-year-old processes, and ~4 doses per operator per year productivity, creating urgent pressure to transform the manufacturing paradigm. CAR-T vein-to-vein manufacturing times run from roughly two weeks to over seven weeks, and up to 31% of patients referred for therapy never receive it because their disease outpaced the manufacturing queue — a direct patient harm from manufacturing failure rather than clinical failure. Seven approved CAR-T therapies are on the market, with several tech-transferred from academia carrying 20-30-year-old processes that the industry has been reluctant to update, reflecting a broader conservatism where proven-but-old processes are treated as fixed even when newer technologies could improve efficiency and cost. (Segment 1 (00:00-05:00))