Cancer remains a formidable global challenge, impacting millions of lives each year. In the Middle East, the burden of cancer is particularly significant, with unique challenges related to access to care, awareness, and cultural factors. At the forefront of innovative solutions is CAR T-cell therapy, a revolutionary approach that harnesses the power of a patient's immune system to treat certain types of blood cancers.
"It still sounds amazing when you stop and explain it to someone - taking a patient’s T cells, modifying those cells at our global manufacturing facilities and re-infusing the modified cells into the patient to fight their cancer," explains Cindy Perettie, executive vice president and global head of Kite, a Gilead Company
These modified T-cells have chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) on their surface, which enable them to seek and destroy cancer cells, offering potential for long-term remission for patients with certain blood cancers. "The unique piece about CAR T is that it’s a one-time treatment,” says Perettie. “It’s your own engineered white blood cells with the potential to induce complete response (no detectable cancer) and/or improve your overall survival.”
As cancer incidence rises in the Middle East, driving awareness of innovative treatments remains critical. According to report by the Swedish Institute for Health Economics (IHE), new cancer cases in the Middle East were set to almost double between 2020 and 2040, with blood cancers being among five of the most common types 1. Access to advanced treatments is often limited, and greater awareness and education about early detection could be a step toward bringing more innovative treatment options to the region.
Gilead and Kite Oncology are at the forefront of CAR T-cell therapy, with a commitment to expand access to this transformative treatment to patients around the world.
“We are working with healthcare systems to bring innovative treatments that can offer new hope to patients in the Middle East. While the cancer landscape here is complex, we also recognise how supportive the Middle East is of healthcare innovation. With its openness to cutting-edge technologies, it represents an important region for us as we aim to deliver potential cures to eligible patients,” says Perettie.
Gilead and Kite Oncology’s CAR T-cell therapies are approved in more than 40 countries, including China, Japan and Singapore, with a network of 530 authorised treatment centres globally where more than 27,000 patients have been treated.
“We are proud to have end-to-end standalone research and development, manufacturing and commercialisation of this potentially curative treatment,” says Perettie. “Ultimately, for us, expanding CAR T treatment centres globally is about more than numbers – it’s about breaking down barriers so that even more patients can access these treatments, giving them the opportunity for survival and long-term remission.”
Leveraging this robust infrastructure alongside key partnerships with healthcare providers, governments and policy makers in the region will be central to advancing cancer treatment here.
Cindy Perettie envisions a future where CAR T-cell therapy is accessible to all eligible patients in the Middle East and beyond.
"We need education and awareness around cell therapy. Right now, there are patients out there who will never hear about CAR T or won’t hear about it until it’s too late. This must change,” she says. “We have the bold ambition to achieve cures with cell therapy, but to get there, we need the collaboration of all stakeholders. Kite continues to work with healthcare providers, governments, patient groups and all stakeholders to drive innovation, expand access and ultimately transform the lives of people with blood cancers.”
