SAUDI ARABIA, Riyadh, Sept. 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre (KFSHRC) has reaffirmed its global standing as a pioneer in advanced medical technologies by successfully establishing in-house manufacturing and clinical application of CAR-T therapy, placing itself among the select global centers driving the future of precision medicine.
KFSHRC has administered the first dose of locally manufactured Lentigen CD19 CAR-T therapy to a patient enrolled in a Phase I clinical trial for relapsed or refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (R/R B-ALL), marking a breakthrough moment for the Kingdom in advanced gene and cell therapies.
Since 2020, KFSHRC has treated more than 200 patients with CAR-T therapies manufactured abroad, before advancing to become the first institution in the Kingdom to both manufacture and administer an in-house CAR-T product under a Phase I clinical trial. Unlike conventional CAR-T, which requires overseas production, the hospital’s in-house platform has reduced costs to just 20% of commercial CAR-T, eliminated logistical delays, and accelerated access to potentially life-saving treatment.
This milestone reflects integrated collaboration between KFSHRC’s department of Hematology, stem of transplantation and therapy, Research & Innovation (R&I), Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine (DPLM), Center for Genomic Medicine (CGM), and Clinical Research Department (CRD) combining research, manufacturing, and clinical care under one roof to reshape healthcare access and outcomes.
KFSHRC will showcase its pioneering role in cell and gene therapies as strategic partner of the C3 Davos of Healthcare™ New York Summit: Healthcare Disrupted – The Future of AI, Data & Precision Medicine. The event, hosted at the Union League Club in New York City, will provide a global platform for the hospital to highlight how locally developed CAR-T manufacturing capabilities are reshaping access, reducing costs, and advancing international standards of care.
By building local biomanufacturing capabilities, KFSHRC underscores its mission to advance Vision 2030 and the National Biotechnology Strategy, ensuring patients in Saudi Arabia and beyond benefit early from next-generation therapies while reinforcing its role as a global reference center for healthcare innovation.
It is noteworthy that KFSHRC has been ranked first in the Middle East and North Africa and 15th globally in the list of the world’s top 250 Academic Medical Centres for the second consecutive year and has been recognised as the most valuable healthcare brand in the Kingdom and the Middle East, according to the 2025 Brand Finance rankings. Additionally, it was included in the World’s Best Smart Hospitals list for 2025 by Newsweek magazine.
For more information, visit www.kfshrc.edu.sa or contact our media team at [email protected]
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c6c485d4-ac4c-4df3-9b9b-5a0cc7979618