Trilateral Initiative Launches Innovative Payment Model for CAR-T Therapy to Enhance Access to High-Cost Medicines

Source: Shell Finance

Beijing News (Reporter Wang Kala) Recently, Fosun Kite announced the official launch of the "Heal Together with Yescarta – Real-World Pharmacoeconomic Exploration Project for Axicabtagene Ciloleucel Injection" in Beijing, Tianjin, and Shanghai, providing real-world evidence support for the construction of a multi-level medical security system for innovative drugs.

As an innovative treatment approach in recent years, the rise of CAR-T cell therapy has brought more advanced treatment options to patients. Currently, the reform of innovative drug payment is entering a historic window period. The establishment of a diversified payment system under policy support is helping to improve the accessibility of more high-value innovative drugs. Guided by policies, companies are also exploring innovative payment methods to enhance the accessibility of cell therapies.

As a key focus area in the innovative drug catalog, the real-world clinical value and payment innovation of CAR-T cell therapy have attracted significant attention. Currently, eight CAR-T cell therapies have been approved for marketing in China: Axicabtagene Ciloleucel from Fosun Kite, Relmacabtagene Autoleucel from Wuxi JWCAR, Ebcartagene Autoleucel from IASO Biotherapeutics, Nabcartagene Autoleucel from Hekang Biotechnology, Zevorcabtagene Autoleucel from CARsgen Therapeutics, Ciltacabtagene Autoleucel from Legend Biotech, Linicabtagene Autoleucel from Hrain Biotechnology, and Pcartagene Autoleucel Injection from Chongqing Precision Biotech. These CAR-T cell therapies, with treatment costs reaching millions of yuan, have sparked discussions about accessibility.

Previously, CAR-T cell therapy had attempted multiple times to enter the national medical insurance directory negotiations but failed each time. In 2025, with the establishment of the commercial insurance innovative drug directory, Axicabtagene Ciloleucel, Zevor-cel, Idecabtagene Vicleucel, Narla-cel, and Relma-cel collectively entered the preliminary review list and were all eventually included.

Axicabtagene Ciloleucel Injection is the first CAR-T cell therapy product approved for marketing in China. The real-world pharmacoeconomic exploratory study of Axicabtagene Ciloleucel launched this time relies on top-tier pharmacoeconomic and clinical research teams to verify the clinical efficacy, safety, and cost-effectiveness of this therapy in real-world settings. The project will evaluate the clinical efficacy, safety, and pharmacoeconomic-related indicators of Axicabtagene Ciloleucel in treating patients with relapsed/refractory large B-cell lymphoma, actively exploring a comprehensive value evaluation pathway for cell therapy products under real-world conditions within the medical insurance system.

"The project actively responds to the policy guidance of real-world research on medical insurance, focusing on key issues, and will provide a solid evidence base for the comprehensive value evaluation and diversified payment of innovative drugs," said LENG Jiahua, Director of the Medical Insurance Service Department at Peking University Cancer Hospital.

Professors Zhang Huilai, Director of the Lymphoma Medical Oncology Department at Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, and Jing Hongmei from Peking University Third Hospital, stated that clinicians look forward to further verifying the long-term benefits of CAR-T therapy through real-world studies, enabling more patients to truly benefit from this innovative treatment.

Professor Zhao Weili, Vice President of Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine and Director of the Shanghai Institute of Hematology, pointed out that CAR-T cell therapy is facing unprecedented development opportunities. At the same time, it is also encountering new challenges in clinical standardization, real-world value verification, and the implementation of innovative payment models. In the future, the CAR-T field still requires continuous efforts to explore new therapeutic targets, optimize treatment strategies, and further enhance the safety and efficacy of the therapy. On the other hand, interdisciplinary and cross-field collaboration needs to be strengthened to promote the deep integration of CAR-T with diverse treatment methods and innovative payment systems, creating more comprehensive and personalized treatment plans that allow cutting-edge technology to truly benefit more lymphoma patients in China.

Proofread by Baoqing Liu