APAC Leading the Industry in Adoptive Cell Therapy – Trials, Economic Growth, and Pioneering Companies

At the Annual Outsourcing in Clinical Trials conference, held from June 11-12, Chung-Siu captivated clinical trial professionals with a detailed analysis of the adoptive cell therapy landscape. Drawing from a GlobalData plc report, he revealed that the APAC region is leading with 1,023 single-country trials, significantly outpacing North America’s 476 trials. Chung-Siu emphasized the APAC region’s growing dominance and potential to revolutionize adoptive cell therapy advancements.

APAC Leads in Single-Country Adoptive Cell Therapy Trials, Outpacing North America

There are approximately two times more single-country adoptive cell therapy clinical trials being run in the APAC region compared to North America, according to Scotty Chung-Siu, a managing analyst at GlobalData. Speaking at the Annual Outsourcing in Clinical Trials conference held from June 11-12, Chung-Siu provided a comprehensive overview of the adoptive cell therapy landscape to an audience of clinical trial professionals.

GlobalData plc, parent company of Pharmaceutical Technology, is known for being a data analytics and consulting company. A report filed by them was referenced by Chung-Siu, indicating that currently, the ongoing single-country adoptive cell therapy trials in the APAC region is overall two times greater than the number of those in North America. According to Chung-Siu, there are 1,023 clinical studies on single-country adoptive cell therapy being conducted in the APAC region. As for North America, the area is currently conducting 476 clinical studies. Although both regions portray an increasing number of clinical study trials, APAC region demonstrates a stronger leadership position and potential to drive significant advancements in adoptive cell therapy.

Regional Surge in CAR-T Cell Therapy Fuels Economic Growth and Clinical Trial Expansion

Adoptive cell therapies are characterized for being a form of immunotherapy, classified into three types: natural kill cell immunotherapy (NK), tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte immunotherapy (TIL), and T cell immunotherapy. T cell immunotherapy is particularly renowned for its distinct modalities, including chimeric antigen T (CAR-T) cell therapy, natural killer T cell, regulatory T cells, and T cell receptor (TCR). Within each category stated, cells will be engineered to stimulate a patient’s immune system and hence, be able to treat the condition. The advancement of these therapies hold a great promise for the future of clinical trial growth.

In February 2024, a paper was published by Blood Cell Therapy journal and it reported that Asia has in fact driven 70% of the global economic growth in the past two years. An annual 40% growth rate was also seen in APAC as CAR-T therapies were adopted. This significant growth comes from CAR-T cell clinical trials conducted in countries such as China, Japan, Singapore, and Korea. Nevertheless, growing interest from additional Asian countries has emerged to mark the beginning of their journey on CAR-T cell therapy development, potentially lowering treatment cost through broader research and promising improved patient outcomes. 

CAR-T therapies are known for treating different types of cancers. Their innovative approach is able to modify the patient’s immune cells, allowing them to become one of APAC’s major medical advancements. Such a dynamic growth in CAR-T therapy adoption demonstrates strategic investments and most certainly technological advancements acquired across Asia. 

Key Players Hebei Senlang Biotechnology and Chongqing Precision Biotech Propel APAC’s Cell Therapy Leadership

At the moment, two main companies are leading the way for APAC cell therapy recognition according to Chung-Siu. He stated that Hebei Senlang Biotechnology Co., Ltd, located in Hebei, China and Chongqing Precision Biotech Co., Ltd., located in Chongqing, China are leading the industry with 34 and 32 trials, respectively. Hebei Senlang Biotechnology is recognized for their production of high-quality probiotic supplements. Chongqing Precision Biotech, on the other hand, is known for their development of advanced molecular diagnostic technologies.

The APAC region is most certainly emerging as a global leader in adoptive cell therapy research. The growth itself is driven by key players in the region and supported by the commercial success of the therapies offered. Looking ahead, with APAC’s leading position in clinical trial activity, the future for adoptive cell therapy in the area appears exceptionally promising.

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Denisse Sandoval