Shanghai SinoUnited opens international CAR-T centre after beginning treatments in 2024
The hospital described its treatment pathway, a Hong Kong patient's early improvement and practical support for international travel.
Published by CareAtlas · Editorial policy
Shanghai SinoUnited Hospital launched an international CAR-T cell therapy centre on May 21, 2025. The service builds on treatments the hospital began in July 2024, according to the municipal report published two days after the launch.
CAR-T treatment modifies a patient's own immune cells to recognize and attack cancer cells. The centre's primary clinical focus is this form of therapy for blood cancers.
Twelve patients treated before the launch report
The hospital reported that twelve patients had received CAR-T treatment since July 2024. They came from countries and regions including New Zealand, Britain, Germany, the Philippines and Hong Kong.
Hematology director Zhou Lili described multidisciplinary collaboration as part of the hospital's approach. The new centre brings that clinical service together with arrangements for patients arriving from abroad.
A treatment pathway and an individual case
One case involved a thirty-year-old IT professional from Hong Kong with central nervous system lymphoma. Previous chemotherapy had failed, and the patient had been in a coma before referral to SinoUnited.
The report described marked improvement over three months following a comprehensive CAR-T treatment programme. This was the reported clinical course for that individual.
The hospital also presented a “23-day treatment package” covering cell collection, preparation, infusion and rehabilitation. The package's scheduled stages are separate from the three-month period over which the Hong Kong patient's improvement was described.
Travel assistance and planned remote consultations
Support announced for international patients included visa assistance, airport transfers and local payment options. The centre also offered individually arranged recovery travel plans covering Shanghai and nearby regions.
Beyond these services, the hospital outlined a goal of facilitating remote consultations between overseas patients and experts at leading Chinese public hospitals. Collaboration with institutions in New Zealand and elsewhere was also described as a future direction for sharing CAR-T expertise.