San Antonio, Texas, July 07, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — BBG Advanced Therapies, a subsidiary of nonprofit BioBridge Global (BBG), today announced a collaboration with Kite, a Gilead Company and global leader in cell therapy, to deploy BBG Advanced Therapies’ Mobile Leukapheresis Center (MLC) across Texas — marking an important milestone in how patients can access Kite’s CAR T-cell therapies which are individualized cancer treatments made from a patient’s own cells.
Kite has helped pioneer CAR T‑cell therapies, changing the outlook for patients with certain blood cancers. Operating across Texas, the MLC is a first‑of‑its‑kind platform that brings the initial T-cell collection step directly to patients in their communities, aligning with Kite’s strategy to scale access to cell therapy and reach more eligible people closer to home. By meeting patients where they are, this model reduces travel and caregiver burdens, shortens logistical pathways, and helps clear a major hurdle to broader adoption of advanced therapies.
“Kite has treated more than 34,500 patients with CAR T-cell therapy—more than any other company—yet only about 2 in 10 eligible patients in the U.S. receive these treatments today,” said Adrienne B. Mendoza, MHA, Chief Operating Officer of BBG Advanced Therapies. “That gap underscores the need for new access models. Kite’s experience building one of the world’s most advanced cell therapy ecosystems makes it an ideal collaborator as we expand the infrastructure needed to bring these potentially curative therapies closer to more eligible patients in Texas.”
Once the initial T-cell collection or leukapheresis is complete, the T-cells are then sent to a Kite facility where a Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) gene is added and where the cells proliferate. After a short period, the patient’s cells are sent back to an Authorized Treatment Center where the patient will receive a one-time infusion.
Because these treatments are comprised of a patient’s own cells, precision, consistency, and chain‑of‑identity are non‑negotiable. BBG Advanced Therapies ensures that every collection meets rigorous quality standards and is fully integrated into Kite’s GMP manufacturing workflow, reinforcing the strength and reliability of the end‑to‑end supply chain.
For Texans today—and for regions around the world watching this model—this collaboration demonstrates how innovative infrastructure can unlock access to cutting‑edge medicine. It shows how mobile, decentralized collection can help enable more patients to access cell therapy over time, so that transformative therapies are not limited by geography.
The Texas deployment will serve as an important proof‑of‑concept model for additional markets, signaling how mobile collection infrastructure can support the continued growth of cell and gene therapies while maintaining the quality and consistency required for these complex, personalized medicines.
About BBG Advanced Therapies: The newest subsidiary of San Antonio-based nonprofit BioBridge Global, BBG Advanced Therapies provides innovative and custom solutions to accelerate the development of cell and gene therapies. BBG Advanced Therapies features a fully integrated and custom portfolio of innovative solutions, including collection and processing of starting materials, testing, clinical trials support, and biomanufacturing services. Learn more at BBGAdvancedTherapies.org.
About BioBridge Global: BioBridge Global (BBG) is a San Antonio-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit healthcare services enterprise that offers diverse services through its nonprofit subsidiaries – South Texas Blood & Tissue, QualTex Laboratories, BBG Advanced Therapies and The Blood & Tissue Center Foundation. BioBridge Global provides products and services in blood resource management, cellular therapy, donated umbilical cord blood and human tissue, as well as testing of blood, plasma and tissue products for clients in the United States and worldwide. The enterprise enables advances in the field of regenerative medicine and advanced therapies by providing access to starting materials, testing services and biomanufacturing and clinical trials support. BioBridge Global is committed to saving and enhancing lives through the healing power of human cells and tissue. Learn more at BioBridgeGlobal.org. management, cellular therapy, donated umbilical cord blood and human tissue, as well as testing of blood, plasma and tissue products for clients in the United States and worldwide. The enterprise enables advances in the field of regenerative medicine and advanced therapies by providing access to starting materials, testing services as well as biomanufacturing and clinical trials support. BioBridge Global is committed to saving and enhancing lives through the healing power of human cells and tissue. Learn more at BioBridgeGlobal.org.
- BBG Advanced Therapies labs and offices
- BBG Advanced Therapies Mobile Leukapheresis Center