Today's Edition
ABU DHABI (WAM)
The Abu Dhabi Stem Cells Centre (ADSCC) and Miltenyi have signed a cooperation agreement to advance the development and local manufacturing of chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapies in the UAE, establish a first regional access point for locally developed CAR-T therapies, and support the potential expansion of CAR-T applications beyond oncology.
The agreement was signed on Wednesday by Dr. Antonio Alfonso Bencomo Hernandez, Chief Scientific Officer at ADSCC, and Willem-Jan Blok, Senior Vice President, Global Strategy & Organisation and Commercial Europe & International Markets at Miltenyi Biomedicine, on the sidelines of the Abu Dhabi Future Health Summit 2026, to advance the development of potentially life-changing CAR-T therapies in the UAE and help reduce the need for eligible patients to seek treatment abroad.
Under the agreement, ADSCC will contribute its local cell therapy development and manufacturing capabilities, while Miltenyi will provide scientific and technical support related to it’s proprietary viral vector and anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor technologies.
CAR-T therapy is an advanced form of cell therapy that uses a patient’s own immune cells, which are modified to better recognise and target specific disease-causing cells.
While CAR-T has been established for the treatment of certain blood cancers, research and clinical applications are increasingly exploring its potential in other serious conditions, including autoimmune diseases.
ADSCC has already established a local CAR-T cell therapy platform, with capabilities spanning cell collection, processing, genetic engineering, and Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP)-compliant manufacturing.
The centre has also applied CAR-T therapy in an autoimmune disease setting, including the treatment of lupus.
Dr. Antonio Alfonso Bencomo Hernandez, Chief Scientific Officer at the ADSCC, said, "At ADSCC, we have established capabilities across the CAR-T development and manufacturing pathway, and our priority is to continue building on this foundation to expand what can be achieved within the UAE and, importantly, translate that knowledge into meaningful benefits for patients."
He added that collaborating with Miltenyi will support the development of advanced cell therapies and their local manufacturing, while exploring potential applications of these technologies beyond their current uses.
Willem-Jan Blok said, “By working with ADSCC, we are bringing together complementary expertise to support the continued development of CAR-T capabilities in the UAE and explore how these technologies may be applied across a broader range of serious conditions. This collaboration reflects the importance of combining scientific innovation with the capabilities needed to translate advances in cell therapy into future treatment opportunities for patients in the UAE.”
