US-Based Caring Cross and Burjeel Holdings Partner to Bring Revolutionary CAR-T Therapy to MENA Through Local Manufacturing

Point-of-Care Production Spearheaded by Burjeel Holdings and Caring Cross Promises Affordable, Accessible CAR-T Therapies for Patients in the MENA and Beyond

ABU DHABI, UAE and GAITHERSBURG, Md., April 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- In a major step toward democratizing access to advanced healthcare, Burjeel Holdings, a leading super-specialty healthcare provider in the MENA region, and Caring Cross, a U.S.-based non-profit dedicated to accelerating the development and delivery of advanced medicines, have announced a landmark partnership. This collaboration will enable the local manufacturing of CAR-T (Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell) and stem cell gene therapies in the region. By significantly reducing costs and enhancing regional availability, the partnership aims to make lifesaving, next-generation treatments accessible to patients in the region who previously had limited access to such cutting-edge care.

CAR-T therapies represent a major advancement in the treatment of certain blood cancers such as leukemia and lymphoma. By reprogramming a patient's immune cells to target and destroy malignant cells, these therapies offer new hope to patients for whom traditional treatments have failed. However, global access remains limited due to the high costs of treatment—often ranging from US$350,000 to over $1 million in the US and Europe. The partnership seeks to dismantle this barrier by enabling the production of CAR-T therapies at a fraction of the current price, making these treatments accessible to a vastly broader patient population in MENA and beyond.

Through this partnership, Burjeel Holdings aims to overcome this challenge by producing CAR-T therapies locally. A cornerstone of this collaboration is the projected 90% reduction in treatment costs compared to prices in the US and Europe. Caring Cross will support Burjeel Holdings with the necessary technology, materials, and specialized training to establish a local ecosystem for manufacturing CAR-T therapies, as well as providing lentiviral vectors essential for clinical development.

Enhancing Access to Life-Saving Cancer Care

The collaboration will position Burjeel Holdings as a regional hub for advanced cell and gene therapies. By enabling local, point-of-care production of patient-specific therapies, the initiative will expand the reach of these therapies to underserved populations across the MENA region. The first phase of the program will focus on CAR-T therapies for leukemia and lymphoma, with plans to explore treatments for other diseases, including HIV, in the future.

"We are honored to partner with Caring Cross, whose expertise in CAR-T cell therapy production technology will enable us to provide affordable, life-saving treatments to our communities and beyond. This partnership is a pivotal step in our commitment to advancing medical innovation and expanding access to critical healthcare services," said John Sunil, Group CEO of Burjeel Holdings.

"We are excited to partner with Burjeel Holdings to improve access to CAR-T cell and other ATMPs for patients across their hospital networks in the MENA region," said Boro Dropulić, Executive Director of Caring Cross. "This collaboration advances our mission to make these groundbreaking treatments accessible and affordable around the world. By combining our innovative technologies with Burjeel Holdings hospital network and infrastructure, we intend to significantly improve patient access with a sustainable and cost-effective model."

Building Local Capabilities and Expanding Impact

This initiative reflects Burjeel Holdings' broader mission to expand access to high-quality healthcare in regions that need it most. The partnership will focus on training and developing local healthcare providers, ensuring the sustainable and scalable delivery of CAR-T therapies across MENA, India, and globally.

"Our collaboration is operating at the cutting edge of medical innovation, opening doors to biological therapies not just in MENA, but also in emerging markets like India and other parts of Asia. This is a monumental stride in enhancing access to cancer treatments and addressing the escalating need for advanced healthcare globally," said Dr. Ajlan Al Zaki, Director of the Hematology Oncology & Cellular Therapy Center at Burjeel Hospital Abu Dhabi.

This partnership reinforces Burjeel Holdings' commitment to transforming the healthcare landscape in MENA and beyond, offering hope and tangible solutions to millions of patients who previously lacked access to life-saving treatments.

For further inquiries, please contact:

Caring Cross Contacts:

Daniel Laender
Director of Communications
Caring Cross
daniel.laender@caringcross.org
+1 (240) 447-3692

Kathy Fowler
On The Marc Media
kathleen@onthemarcmedia.com
+1 (410) 963-2345

Burjeel Holdings Contact:

M. Unnikrishnan
Corporate Communications Officer
krish@burjeelholdings.com
+971 50 427 5895

About Caring Cross:

Caring Cross is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to accelerating the development of advanced medicines and ensuring global access to cures. To achieve its mission, Caring Cross develops technologies and therapeutic candidates that improve the accessibility, affordability, and applicability of advanced medicines like CAR-T therapy and stem cell gene therapy. Vectors used for Caring Cross ATMPs are manufactured by Vector BioMed, a for-profit vector contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), specializing in rapid lentiviral vector manufacturing solutions, to provide the industry with affordable, high-quality GMP lentiviral vectors.

For more information on Caring Cross, visit https://caringcross.org. For more information on Vector BioMed, visit https://vectorbiomed.com.

About Burjeel Holdings:

Founded in 2007, Burjeel Holdings is a leading super-specialty healthcare services provider in the UAE and Oman, and it operates a growing specialized healthcare segment in Saudi Arabia. The Group operates an integrated and multi-brand healthcare ecosystem across primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary medical care, ensuring complex care delivery to patients across all socioeconomic groups. Its network comprises 100 assets across the UAE, Oman, and Saudi Arabia, including 19 hospitals, 29 medical centers, 29 physiotherapy and wellness centers, 15 pharmacies, and other allied services. Burjeel Holdings' brands include Burjeel, Medeor, LLH, Lifecare, PhysioTherabia and Tajmeel. For more information on Burjeel Holdings, visit https://burjeelholdings.com.

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SOURCE Caring Cross