Sidra Medicine to introduce CAR T-Cell Therapy for childhood cancer treatment in Qatar

QATAR– Sidra Medicine, a leading healthcare institution renowned for its advanced medical research and treatment, has announced plans to introduce CAR T-cell therapy for childhood cancer at its state-of-the-art Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) facility.  

This development marks a significant step forward in pediatric cancer treatment in Qatar. 

Dr. Chiara Cugno, Director of the Advanced Cell Therapy Core and the GMP Facility at Sidra Medicine, made the announcement.  

Dr Cugno emphasized that the innovative CAR T-cell therapy, which uses a patient’s own immune cells to target and fight cancer, brings new hope to pediatric patients, particularly those suffering from leukaemia.  

She revealed this during the fourth edition of the Science Cafe series, titled “Hope for Little Heroes: Revolutionizing Pediatric Cancer Therapies,” which was organized in collaboration with Msheireb Museums and Sidra Medicine. 

While speaking to The Peninsula at the event, Dr. Cugno explained that Sidra Medicine’s GMP facility, which opened only a few months ago, is currently validating the CAR T-cell manufacturing procedure.  

Validation is a crucial step to ensure the therapy is both safe and effective, involving several rounds of rigorous testing to meet stringent quality control standards. 

Furthermore, Dr. Cugno noted that once the facility meets the standards of Qatar’s Ministry of Public Health, the therapy will be available to children in Qatar.  

She also pointed out that CAR T-cell therapy is already approved for use in the United States and Europe.  

However, Sidra Medicine is working on modifying the manufacturing process in order to reduce the cost of treatment, making it more accessible. The therapy is expected to be available in Qatar within the coming months. 

As September marks Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, Dr. Cugno highlighted the global incidence rates of childhood cancer, which range from 50 to 200 per million children. 

 In Qatar, Sidra Medicine annually sees between 70 and 100 new pediatric cancer cases.  

Leukemias and central nervous system tumours are the most common types, accounting for approximately half of all childhood cancer cases in the country. 

Dr. Ata Ur Rehman Maaz, the clinical lead for Neuro-Oncology at Sidra Medicine, also spoke at the event, emphasizing the institution’s comprehensive range of advanced treatment options.  

He noted that all standard treatment modalities for childhood cancer, including advanced surgical techniques, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, are available at Sidra Medicine.  

The only treatment not yet available in Qatar is bone marrow transplantation.

However, Dr. Maaz explained that bone marrow transplants are typically used as a second-line or salvage treatment when cancer does not respond to standard therapies.  

He added that this option will be available in Qatar by the end of the year, further expanding the range of cutting-edge treatments for pediatric cancer patients. 

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