Next Question with Katie Couric A CAR T Revolution: Allogene is Bringing Lifesaving Cancer Treatment to More Patients
Nov 24, 2025
Dr. Zachary Roberts, Chief Medical Officer at Allogene Therapeutics and an expert in immunology, sheds light on the revolutionary potential of allogeneic CAR T-cell therapy. He discusses the triumphs of CAR T in treating blood cancers and the daunting barrier of patient access, with only 20% receiving treatment. Roberts unveils how 'off-the-shelf' therapies, using donor T-cells, promise to bypass manufacturing hurdles. He also highlights the innovative Alpha-3 trial, aiming to treat high-risk patients earlier for better outcomes.
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Access Limits Drive Allogeneic Shift
- Despite efficacy, only about 20% of eligible patients currently receive CAR T because of complex manufacturing, cost, and limited treatment centers.
- These bottlenecks motivated development of allogeneic 'off-the-shelf' CAR T products.
Use Gene Editing For Universal Donors
- Use gene-editing to overcome donor-versus-host immunology and create universal allogeneic CAR T cells.
- From one healthy donor you can manufacture hundreds to thousands of doses to improve scalability.
Bring CAR T To Local Hospitals
- Ship off-the-shelf allogeneic CAR T products directly to local hospitals to expand access.
- Train community clinicians to administer these products so patients need not travel to distant academic centers.