Point-of-care CAR-T cell manufacturing as a path to equity in cancer immunotherapy in a middle-income country

In the previous issue of Molecular Therapy Oncology, Nguyen and colleagues presented a study that represents an important milestone for Vietnam and for global efforts to expand access to CAR T cell therapy in low- and middle-income countries.1 CAR T cell therapy targeting CD19 has become a key option for patients with relapsed or refractory B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), who otherwise have very poor response with chemotherapy.2,3 This phase 1, single-center trial, run by a private medical center in Vietnam, had tested point-of-care-manufactured CD19 CAR T cells (VinCART) in 16 patients (8 ALL and 8 NHL) who had typically received three prior lines of therapy.