Liv Hospital and Istinye University have announced a groundbreaking collaboration with the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine to bring advanced cancer treatments directly to Turkish patients through local manufacturing capabilities and cutting-edge therapeutic programs.
The comprehensive partnership will establish good-manufacturing-practice (GMP) cell production laboratories in Istanbul, marking a significant shift from imported CAR-T cell therapies to locally developed and delivered care. According to Prof. Dr. Erdal Karaöz, Director of the Liv Hospital Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Center, "Liv Hospital will be among the first institutions in Turkey to implement cellular therapies, and through the international-standard laboratories we are establishing with Istinye University, we are preparing to produce these therapeutic cells in-house."
Local Manufacturing to Address Treatment Delays
CAR-T therapy involves reprogramming a patient's own T cells to fight cancer, but sending those cells abroad for processing can create significant delays. Penn Medicine engineers will support the design of cell laboratories in Istanbul that follow recognized GMP standards, as outlined in public guides to CAR-T manufacturing. Leaders at Liv say the ability to produce cells locally could reduce turnaround times and lower shipping costs, even if a final price point has not yet been set.
The laboratories will operate under the supervision of the Ministry of Health and in compliance with all scientific and ethical regulations, producing cell-based treatment products for use in Turkey, especially for certain hematologic cancers.
Targeting Resistant Cancers and Beyond
Early-stage trials will focus on relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, and acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Prof. Dr. Mehmet Hilmi Doğu, Hematology Specialist at Liv Hospital, explained that "CAR T-cell therapy offers renewed hope for patients with lymphoma, specific subtypes of leukemia, and multiple myeloma that are resistant to current treatments or have relapsed."
The therapeutic potential extends beyond hematologic malignancies. According to Prof. Dr. Karaöz, "This approach is not limited to oncology; it has the potential to evolve into a transformative treatment model for solid tumors and for ongoing clinical research in autoimmune disorders. In the future, diseases like type 1 diabetes, systemic lupus erythematosus, and multiple sclerosis (MS) may also be treated using this technology."
Proton Therapy Center Development
Building on Penn's extensive experience in particle therapy, the collaboration includes a planned multi-room proton therapy center at Liv's oncology campus. Proton beams offer high precision and reduced collateral tissue damage, benefits highlighted in both clinical summaries from the National Cancer Institute and technical overviews found in physics literature. Turkish health leaders see this as an opportunity to reduce the number of patients traveling to Germany or the Gulf region for access to this level of treatment.
Regulatory and Financial Framework Development
Turkey does not currently have a reimbursement system that matches the high cost of commercial CAR-T products seen in the United States. However, discussions around value-based and outcome-driven payment models are gaining traction. Both parties view this as a chance to design a region-specific financial framework that aligns with local healthcare priorities.
Efforts are also underway to harmonize Turkish regulatory practices with those of the FDA and EMA. Liv's clinical teams are working with authorities to ensure that local labs can qualify for participation in international trials.
Comprehensive Training and Research Programs
The partnership encompasses joint clinical programs, scientific conferences featuring Perelman School of Medicine experts, and tailored training programs for Turkish healthcare professionals. For complex cases, Perelman School of Medicine experts will provide consultation and assessments to physicians at Liv Hospital and Istinye University through a second-opinion program.
Meri İştiroti, Liv Hospital Group Coordinator and Istinye University Executive Board Member, emphasized the transformative nature of the collaboration: "We view scientific collaborations as more than just knowledge-sharing; they are transformative engagements that directly shape the future of healthcare."
While no official timeline for patient access has been confirmed, both institutions emphasize that regulatory clearance and infrastructure readiness will guide implementation. For Penn researchers, the collaboration offers access to a broader and more diverse patient population while providing a real-world setting to evaluate lower-cost production at scale.
