'Domestic' blood cancer drug 'Rimcato' emerges, 'shortening treatment to 4 weeks'

South Korea has introduced 'Rimcato,' a domestically developed CAR-T therapy for blood cancer, marking a significant advancement that could shorten the treatment duration. Approved in April, Rimcato, created by the Korean biotech firm Curocell, offers a faster alternative to existing CAR-T treatments.

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Domestic production has become possible with the development of domestic CAR-T (chimeric antigen receptor T-cell) treatment. Because CAR-T is made by collecting 'T-cells,' a patient's immune cells, overseas treatments take about 6 weeks, but domestic production can significantly reduce this to less than 4 weeks.

CAR-T therapy involves genetically modifying a patient's own immune T-cells to target and attack cancer cells. While highly effective, particularly for aggressive lymphomas, the process traditionally takes over a month, as it requires extracting T-cells, modifying them, and then reinfusing them. This extended timeline has been a major hurdle, as some patients cannot endure the wait.

"The reduction in treatment time from 6-8 weeks to 4 weeks may not seem significant, but many patients do not survive that period," explained Dr. Cho Hyung-woo, an oncologist at Asan Medical Center. "Rimcato is meaningful because its efficacy is on par with overseas CAR-T therapies, and the treatment time is shortened."

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The reduction in treatment time from 6-8 weeks to 4 weeks may not seem significant, but many patients do not survive that period. Rimcato is meaningful because its efficacy is on par with overseas CAR-T therapies, and the treatment time is shortened.

Clinical trials for Rimcato showed a 75.3% objective response rate (ORR) and a 67.1% complete remission rate (CR). Notably, its CR rate is higher than some other CAR-T treatments, which is crucial for blood cancers where even a single remaining cancer cell can be problematic.

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Blood cancer spreads throughout the body, so unlike solid tumors, not a single cancer cell can remain. The complete remission rate for Rimcato is encouraging.

Despite its promising efficacy and reduced treatment time, Rimcato faces financial challenges. CAR-T therapies are extremely expensive, ranging from 300 to 500 million Korean won (approximately $215,000 to $360,000 USD). Currently, only one CAR-T therapy, Novartis's Kymriah, is covered by national health insurance in South Korea. Dr. Cho emphasized the need for broader insurance coverage to expand patient options, stating, "If reimbursement is not approved, medical professionals cannot recommend the most suitable treatment to patients."

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Because CAR-T is a personalized treatment, the price is very high, ranging from 300 to 500 million won. Currently, only one treatment is covered by insurance in Korea. If reimbursement is not approved, medical professionals cannot recommend the most suitable treatment to patients.