Samsung Seoul Hospital Surpasses 80 Cases of 'Miracle Anticancer Drug' CAR-T Therapy

Kim Won-seok, Director of the CAR-T Cell Therapy Center at Samsung Medical Center and Professor of Hematology and Oncology, is examining a patient.
[Photo by Samsung Medical Center]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-ju] Samsung Medical Center announced on the 26th that it has surpassed 80 cases of chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy. This milestone comes 18 months after starting the first domestic CAR-T treatment for patients with refractory B-cell lymphoma in April last year.

Samsung Medical Center was the first hospital in Korea to establish a 'CAR-T Cell Therapy Center' and operates a multidisciplinary-based treatment system. It is the only institution in the country administering Novartis's CAR-T therapy 'Kymriah,' which has been approved for insurance coverage, to patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and acute B-lymphoblastic leukemia.

In particular, a multidisciplinary treatment and systematic management system has been established involving not only the main departments of hematology-oncology and pediatrics but also diagnostic laboratory medicine, neurology, infectious diseases, and critical care medicine, aiming to improve treatment outcomes.

Furthermore, Samsung Medical Center is leading research on CAR-T therapy. It has conducted the first domestic adult acute B-lymphoblastic leukemia patient treatment targeting 'CD19 (B-cell antigen)' CAR-T therapy and CAR-T therapy targeting 'BCMA (B-cell maturation antigen)' for refractory multiple myeloma patients.

In collaboration with the domestic biotech company Curecell, a phase 1 clinical trial was conducted, and the phase 1 results of CAR-T therapy were presented at the European Hematology Association meeting in June this year. At that time, the Samsung Medical Center research team reported that 9 out of 11 (81.8%) patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma who received the treatment achieved complete remission, meaning the cancer disappeared. They are currently participating in a phase 2 multicenter study.

Kim Won-seok, director of the center and professor of hematology-oncology, said, “Based on the accumulated experience so far, we aim to streamline the CAR-T treatment process,” adding, “We will create an environment where patients can receive treatment more comfortably and effectively, including shortening the treatment period.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.