Ireland's CAR-T programme has passed 150 patients treated at St James's Hospital, marking the development of national capability in highly specialised cell and gene therapy.

More than 150 patients have now received CAR-T therapy at St James's Hospital in Dublin since the programme began in 2021, marking a significant milestone in Ireland's development of advanced blood cancer treatment. The Irish Medical Times report highlights the programme's growth as demand for the highly specialised therapy continues to increase.

CAR-T therapy uses a patient's own T cells, which are collected and genetically modified to recognise and attack cancer cells before being reinfused. The treatment is used for selected patients with relapsed or treatment-resistant blood cancers where conventional treatment options may be limited.

For the pharmaceutical sector, the milestone is significant because CAR-T represents one of the most advanced applications of cell and gene therapy, requiring specialised clinical expertise, laboratory resources, quality controls and complex treatment infrastructure. St James's Hospital says the programme has expanded steadily since becoming the first adult hospital in Ireland to deliver CAR-T in 2021.

The programme's growth also illustrates how advanced therapies are moving from highly specialised clinical programmes towards broader healthcare delivery. St James's reported that more than 150 patients have now received treatment, with the service providing access to patients from across Ireland. The milestone reflects not only increased treatment activity but also the development of multidisciplinary expertise required to deliver the therapy.

CAR-T treatment requires coordination between haematology, nursing, pharmacy, laboratories and other specialist services. Ireland's first CAR-T programme was developed through collaboration between St James's Hospital, the Department of Health and the National Cancer Control Programme, while Trinity College Dublin's account of the programme details the specialised cell-processing and clinical infrastructure established to support treatment.

This infrastructure is particularly important as the use of CAR-T therapies expands. The treatment process involves collecting a patient's cells, preparing them for genetic modification, completing quality assessments and returning the engineered cells to the hospital for reinfusion. Such requirements demonstrate the level of technical capability needed to bring advanced therapies into routine clinical practice.

The programme also represents progress in domestic access to complex treatments. When CAR-T was first introduced in Ireland, eligible patients previously had to travel abroad to receive the therapy. Establishing the programme at St James's created a national treatment pathway while building specialist knowledge and experience within the Irish healthcare system.

The continued increase in patient numbers could also strengthen Ireland's wider advanced therapy ecosystem. As more patients receive CAR-T, clinical teams gain experience in treatment delivery, monitoring and managing the complex requirements associated with cell-based therapies.

For the sector, the CAR-T milestone demonstrates how investment in specialist clinical infrastructure and multidisciplinary expertise can strengthen Ireland's advanced therapies capability. As cell and gene therapies become more established, the development of treatment centres and technical expertise will be increasingly important to translating pharmaceutical innovation into patient access.

Source: Irish Medical Times / St James's Hospital / Trinity College Dublin