A 59-year-old patient from New Zealand with advanced gastroduodenal cancer has become the first international patient to receive Satri-cel, the world’s first approved CAR-T therapy for a solid tumour, at Jiahui International Cancer Center (JICC) in Shanghai, China.
The patient, Josh, travelled to Shanghai in late June after conventional treatment options in his home country became increasingly limited and his disease continued to progress despite standard treatment.
Biomarker testing confirmed that his tumour was Claudin 18.2-positive and HER2-negative, making him eligible for Satri-cel, which is currently available only in China.
After completing PET-CT imaging, multidisciplinary evaluation and treatment planning at JICC, Josh successfully completed leukapheresis, the process used to collect immune cells for CAR-T cell manufacturing.
According to JICC, his CAR-T cells have now entered the manufacturing process, with reinfusion expected approximately three weeks later.
The milestone comes just days after China approves Satri-cel (CT041, Kaileimei) for the treatment of a solid tumour.
Dr. Linli Xuan, Chief of Medical Oncology at Jiahui International Cancer Center, said, “The approval of Satri-cel represents a historic milestone not only for patients with advanced gastric cancer, but also for the future of oncology worldwide. We are honoured that the world’s first international patient has chosen JICC for this groundbreaking treatment.”
Xuan noted that as innovative cancer treatments developed in China continue to gain international recognition, the centre is seeing growing interest from patients around the world seeking access to these advances.
Approved by China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA), Satri-cel is indicated for Claudin18.2-positive, HER2-negative advanced gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma in patients who have failed at least two prior lines of therapy.
In a pivotal clinical trial supporting its approval, Satri-cel demonstrated significant improvements in response rates, disease control, and survival outcomes in heavily pre-treated patients. Overall, 41 per cent of patients experienced measurable tumour shrinkage, compared with 4 per cent of those receiving standard therapy. The treatment also extended median overall survival by nearly six months in this difficult-to-treat patient population. The therapy also showed a manageable safety profile, further supporting its clinical value.
