CTMC and Einstein Hospital Israelita Forge Partnership to Expand Cell Therapy Access Across Latin America
CTMC, a joint venture between Resilience and MD Anderson Cancer Center, has announced a strategic partnership with Einstein Hospital Israelita in São Paulo, Brazil, with the aim of accelerating the adoption and accessibility of cell therapy across Brazil and the broader Latin American region. This collaboration marks a major step forward in building a global ecosystem for advanced cellular therapies, particularly for cancer and other life-threatening diseases.
Amy Hay, Chief Business Officer of CTMC, emphasized the significance of this collaboration, stating, “We’re honored to welcome Einstein Hospital Israelita as the first international member of our CTMC Network Alliance. Our Alliance program is designed to create value by sharing proprietary reagents, offering in-depth training programs, and providing ongoing strategic alignment. The ultimate goal is to increase global access to transformative cell therapies. With CTMC’s extensive experience and network, we are uniquely positioned to bring together leaders in the field of cell therapy to form a global community focused on democratizing access to these life-saving treatments.”
Einstein Hospital Israelita, consistently ranked as the top hospital in Latin America and 22nd globally according to Newsweek, brings a wealth of expertise to this partnership. The hospital has been a pioneer in the region, being the first to provide CAR-T (chimeric antigen receptor T-cell) therapy and CAR-NK (natural killer) cell therapy to patients in Latin America. Dr. Lucila Kerbauy, a hematologist at Einstein who completed her fellowship at MD Anderson Cancer Center, has been instrumental in driving this progress. Specializing in immunotherapy using enhanced NK cells derived from umbilical cord blood, Dr. Kerbauy has returned to Brazil to expand patient access to these therapies while collaborating with CTMC to advance translational research in tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy.
The timing of this partnership aligns with a rapidly growing cell therapy market in Latin America. In 2023, the region’s cell therapy sector generated over $46 million in revenue and is projected to grow at an annual rate of 15%, reaching approximately $129 million within five years. This growth is fueled by an aging population, increasing awareness of cell therapies among both patients and healthcare professionals, and expanding medical infrastructure.
Brazil, in particular, is poised to lead this transformation, capturing 52.5% of the Latin American cell therapy market. The country has emerged as a hub for precision medicine, leveraging its leading hospitals, advanced research centers, and skilled medical professionals. Yet, despite this progress, access to cellular therapies remains a major challenge. More than 90% of cancer patients in Latin America still lack access to these treatments due to insufficient infrastructure and a shortage of trained clinicians and scientists. This underscores the critical need for initiatives like the CTMC Network Alliance to expand access and training.
Einstein Hospital Israelita is positioned to address these gaps effectively. As the region’s flagship institute in oncology and hematology, the hospital is uniquely equipped to drive Latin America’s shift toward personalized, data-driven care. Its leadership in cell therapy, combined with its research capabilities, is expected to accelerate adoption of CAR-T, CAR-NK, and TIL therapies, setting a benchmark for precision medicine in Brazil and beyond. Einstein’s portfolio already includes therapies for various hematologic cancers, such as non-Hodgkin lymphoma and acute lymphoblastic leukemia, along with applications in ophthalmology and neurology. The hospital also engages in clinical studies across orthopedics, neurology, and rheumatology, highlighting its commitment to broad-based innovation in cellular therapeutics.
Key to this effort is Einstein’s state-of-the-art infrastructure, including a cord blood bank and a GMP-certified cell therapy laboratory. These facilities are critical for the processing, development, and clinical application of advanced cell therapies in Brazil, enabling the hospital to not only provide treatments but also contribute to the research and development of next-generation therapies.
Sidney Klajner, President of Einstein Hospital Israelita, highlighted the transformative potential of the partnership, stating, “Einstein has always been at the forefront of medical innovation in Latin America, pioneering therapies such as CAR-T and CAR-NK cells. Our collaboration with the CTMC Network Alliance represents the next major leap forward. Together, we will build a center of excellence in precision medicine that benefits not just Brazil, but the entire Latin American region.”
The CTMC Network Alliance is designed to establish a global infrastructure for cell therapy that sets new benchmarks in quality, accessibility, and innovation. By joining the Alliance, members gain access to a wide range of resources, including standardized operating procedures, proprietary reagents, educational programs, and training initiatives. This collaborative framework facilitates knowledge sharing, strengthens operational standards, and accelerates translational and commercial therapeutic development.
Jason Bock, CEO of CTMC, emphasized the global impact of the Alliance: “Democratizing cell therapy requires collaboration on a global scale. By working with Alliance members, we can accelerate their capacity to develop local processing and manufacturing capabilities. We are proud to have Einstein as our first international member and are excited to share our expertise in TIL therapy development and manufacturing.”
A key feature of the CTMC model is its integration of patient-adjacent manufacturing with large medical centers. This approach places the patient at the center of the supply chain, ensuring that therapies are tailored, timely, and effective. The Network Alliance aims to empower hospitals worldwide to establish cell therapy centers with robust, industrialized manufacturing capabilities, expanding patient access to these lifesaving treatments across the globe.
Beyond infrastructure and training, the partnership between CTMC and Einstein is expected to foster collaborative research and innovation. By connecting leading scientific minds, the Alliance creates a platform for early-stage discovery, translational science, and commercialization of new therapies. This collaborative ecosystem will support the development of novel CAR-T, CAR-NK, and TIL-based therapies while enabling local hospitals to build sustainable cell therapy programs.
The broader implications of this partnership extend beyond Brazil. As the first international member of the CTMC Network Alliance, Einstein Hospital Israelita serves as a model for other hospitals in Latin America and globally. By leveraging CTMC’s resources and expertise, Einstein can accelerate clinical adoption, enhance workforce training, and standardize manufacturing processes, helping other institutions replicate its success and expand patient access to cell therapies.
Latin America’s growing need for advanced therapeutics is clear. With the population aging and the prevalence of cancer and other chronic conditions rising, the demand for innovative treatments like cell therapy is expected to continue accelerating. The collaboration between CTMC and Einstein Hospital Israelita addresses both the clinical and infrastructural gaps in the region, providing a scalable model for precision medicine that can be adapted worldwide.
Ultimately, the CTMC-Einstein partnership represents a convergence of expertise, technology, and vision. By combining CTMC’s experience in cell therapy manufacturing and network development with Einstein’s clinical leadership and regional influence, the Alliance aims to democratize access to transformative therapies, improve patient outcomes, and establish Latin America as a global hub for cell therapy innovation. This collaboration not only advances medical science but also embodies a commitment to equitable healthcare, ensuring that more patients have access to treatments that can change and save lives.
