"Vietnam can produce CAR-T products for cancer treatment at reasonable prices. Expanding and enhancing treatment for cancer, anemia, and immunodeficiency patients in Vietnam and CAR-T cell therapy are considered an optimal solution" - Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thanh Liem, Director of Vinmec Institute of Cell Research and Gene Technology, said at the annual international conference on breakthroughs in cell therapy and gene editing for cancer, metabolic and genetic diseases organized by Vinmec International General Hospital on October 31 in Hanoi.
According to Professor Liem, on average, each year Vietnam has 300 stem cell transplants due to leukemia. However, there are many cases of disease recurrence after transplant, shortening the chance of survival. In stem cell research, scientists have found that CAR-T cell therapy is considered an optimal modern solution in cancer treatment in Vietnam.
CAR-T is a new but extremely important therapy to save patients with leukemia that is resistant to chemotherapy or relapses after chemotherapy. Without this therapy, most patients with acute leukemia and lymphoma that do not respond to chemotherapy or relapse after treatment will die very quickly.
The case of patient H.G.B, 12 years old, was diagnosed with acute leukemia type L2, intermediate risk group at the Central Hematology and Blood Transfusion Hospital in early 2021. Here, doctors conducted chemotherapy regimens for the child for 1 year, the patient achieved complete remission. However, in July 2023, the disease relapsed with 80% of malignant blast cells in the bone marrow. Doctors continued treatment with different chemotherapy regimens, but still could not completely push back the disease.
In September 2023, B received CAR-T cell therapy. After 3 weeks of treatment, thorough evaluation tests showed that the patient responded well and the malignant cells in the peripheral blood were completely destroyed. 19 days after the CAR-T cell infusion, B was officially released from the special isolation treatment room and continued to be monitored by doctors.
Professor Liem added that CAR-T cell therapy is a potential treatment for patients with relapsed or drug-resistant non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and acute leukemia (ALL). However, the cost of producing CAR-T remains very high.
Vietnam has now had initial results in treating relapsed or drug-resistant NHL and ALL using CAR-T cells. The study was conducted from August 2023 to present and has treated 8 ALL patients and 7 NHL patients with CAR-T cells.
Up to now, the results are currently evaluated at 70% in the early stages, while 30% can relapse. Initially, doctors have mastered the technology, including cell production and clinical treatment monitoring, diagnosis, indications, and treatment of complications. With the initial implementation results, scientists hope that this is a promising therapy in Vietnam, bringing opportunities to cancer patients.
Vietnam can now produce CAR-T cells at a cost only one-fifth that of the US, with equal quality.
“With about 1.5-2 billion VND for CAR-T cell transplantation, I think many people will be able to access it. When CAR-T cells are actively produced, this therapy can be prescribed earlier and will give better results,” said Professor Liem.
