Chinese Innovative CAR-T Therapy Carvykti Achieves $1.887 Billion in Global Sales, Becomes Blockbuster Drug
Legend Biotech
Tumor Cell Immunotherapy Developer
Johnson & Johnson
Medical Device R&D and Manufacturer
In the biopharmaceutical field, large products with annual sales exceeding 1 billion US dollars are vividly referred to as "Blockbuster" drugs.
On June 3 this year, Legend Biotech announced aCarvyktiLatest Long-term Follow-up Data in Patients with Relapsed or Refractory Multiple Myeloma (RR/MM) Treated with Multi-line Therapy.
Data show that these RR/MM patients received only a singleCarvyktiInfusion, without receiving maintenance therapy or subsequent myeloma treatment, where 33% (32/97) of patients did not experience disease progression for five years or longer.
In the CARTITUDE-4 study targeting frontline patients, Carvykti significantly reduced the risk of disease progression or death by approximately 70% and decreased the risk of death by 45% compared to standard therapy.
In view of this long-term improvement data,International Myeloma Working Group (IMWG)The "Sequential Immunotherapy Recommendations" released in 2025 clearly state: Under the premise of "equal accessibility and eligibility," for patients who are eligible for both BCMA CAR-T and bispecific antibodies (TCE), "CAR-T is recommended as the preferred option."
So far, in the U.S. market, the only CAR-T therapy approved for multiple myeloma indication is Legend Biotech's.CarvyktiUnder BMS'sAbecma Two Versions.
Both of these CAR-T therapies are significantly superior to chemotherapy, but Legend Biotech'sCarvyktiSignificantly superior, ultimately inOccupying approximately 90% of the BCMA CAR-T market segment.
The tremendous success of Legend Biotech provesChina's innovative drug industry is fully capable of producing world-class blockbuster drugs.
The vast majority of the $1.887 billion in sales came from the European and American markets.
This reality reveals an immutable rule for the survival of China's innovative drugs: commercial success must be based on the global market.
CAR-T therapy, as a highly personalized cell and gene therapy (CGT), has extremely high production costs and represents one of the highest levels of demand on the payment system among all drugs.
Currently, including Legend BiotechCarvyktiIn China, there are already 6~7 CAR-T therapies that have been launched on the market, but only one has achieved commercial success.
In the face of unit prices often reaching millions, China's current overall payment system is not yet sufficient to support the profitability of a CAR-T therapy.
The good news is that the price barriers restricting the development of CAR-T therapy are expected to be significantly improved with technological advancements.
In vivo CAR-T technology, as a new generation technology route that has emerged in recent years, aims to directly modify T cells within the patient's body through viral or non-viral vectors (such as LNP), eliminating the complicated process of extraction, expansion, and reinfusion outside the body.
This will undoubtedly greatly reduce costs and improve the accessibility of drugs.
Currently, many Chinese innovative drug companies have made arrangements.In vivo CAR-T technology, and has made quite good progress.
On October 16, 2025, China's innovative drug company Puruixin announced a collaboration with Kite, a subsidiary of Gilead, in the field of in vivo gene-editing therapies, and signed a licensing and collaboration agreement.
According to the agreement, Precigen has the right and has received a total of $1.2 billion in cash as an upfront payment. It is also entitled to receive up to $15.2 billion in milestone payments upon the achievement of specified milestones, along with tiered sales royalties based on net sales.
Prior to this, PuriGene had jointly developed an in vivo CAR-T cell therapy, ESO-T01, with EsoBiotec. In March 2025, AstraZeneca acquired EsoBiotec for a total amount of $1 billion, obtaining this asset.
In addition, there are a large number of Chinese innovative drug companies such as Everest Medicines, Gracell Biotechnologies, Benda Gene, and Bond Bio, which have significant layouts in the in vivo CAR-T field.
It can be expected that, followingLegend BiotechCarvykti has become one of the most successful first-generation CAR-T products globally, and China's innovative pharmaceutical companies are expected to continue to stand at the forefront of the industry in the competition for the next generation of in vivo CAR-T therapies.
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