A clinical team from the University of Hong Kong's Faculty of Medicine (HKUMed), in collaboration with Queen Mary Hospital, has successfully treated the first myeloma patient in Hong Kong with CAR-T cell therapy, achieving a very good response without severe complications. This milestone treatment represents the first time advanced CAR-T cellular therapy manufactured in mainland China has been used in Hong Kong.
Breakthrough Treatment for Relapsed Myeloma
The successful treatment offers new hope for myeloma patients who have not responded to traditional therapies. Myeloma is a cancerous disorder of plasma cells that primarily affects patients in their forties and fifties, causing anemia, bone destruction, and kidney damage that can ultimately result in death.
Current standard care involves frontline targeted agents, occasionally combined with chemotherapy, followed by autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. However, many patients still experience disease relapse, and for those who fail to respond to frontline treatment, options remain limited with only short-lived benefits from bispecific antibodies and other targeted drugs.
BCMA-Targeting CAR-T Technology
The CAR-T cells used for myeloma target B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA). The treatment process begins with collecting T-lymphocytes from the patient's peripheral blood through apheresis. These cells are then transported to a manufacturing site where the CAR construct is inserted. While the genetically modified CAR-T cells are prepared, patients undergo lymphodepletion chemotherapy to clear circulating lymphocytes before the CAR-T cells are re-infused.
The research team utilized BCMA CAR-T cells produced by a mainland manufacturer. This product has been in use since 2020 and received approval from the National Medical Products Administration in 2023, marking its first application outside mainland China.
Clinical Impact and Program Expansion
"Currently, Queen Mary Hospital is the only hospital in Hong Kong offering CAR-T cell immunotherapy for myeloma. The existing pilot CAR-T cell therapy program aims to treat five to ten myeloma patients annually," said Professor Kwong Yok-lam, Chair Professor of the Department of Medicine at HKUMed.
Professor Eric Tse Wai-choi, Associate Dean (Research) of the Faculty and Clinical Professor, emphasized the treatment's significance: "BCMA CAR-T cell therapy will have a significant impact on myeloma management in Hong Kong, as it represents one of the most effective salvage strategies for myeloma. It can provide a life-saving option for patients who do not respond to standard therapy or experience a relapse after autologous bone marrow transplantation."
Established CAR-T Program
Queen Mary Hospital was the first hospital in Hong Kong to offer CAR-T cell therapy in 2021. The clinical team has successfully performed CAR-T therapy on over 60 patients with various blood cancers, representing the largest cohort of CAR-T cell-treated patients in Hong Kong.
The successful implementation of mainland-manufactured CAR-T therapy exemplifies how state-of-the-art therapeutic products and technology developed in mainland China can benefit patients in Hong Kong, potentially paving the way for accessing more innovative treatment strategies through cross-border collaboration.
