The first case of leukemia treated with cell therapy in Vietnam

The family of patient Tran Bao Chi expressed their gratitude to the doctors and nurses during the time they treated the child.

On August 21, Vinmec Healthcare System announced that Vinmec Stem Cell and Gene Technology Research Institute (VRISG) had successfully treated patient Tran Bao Chi (4 years old, in Hanoi) with acute lymphoblastic leukemia using T immune cell therapy transduced with an artificial gene (CAR-T).

Dr. Bach Quoc Khanh, President of the Vietnam Hematology and Blood Transfusion Association, assessed that this is the first case in Vietnam to be successfully treated with CAR-T cell therapy, opening up a chance of survival for patients with acute leukemia or lymphoma who no longer respond to conventional treatment regimens.

The patient has no more cancer cells.

Professor Nguyen Thanh Liem - Director of Vinmec Stem Cell and Gene Technology Research Institute said that after two months of treatment at Vinmec, the patient's peripheral blood test results showed no cancer cells, bone marrow test showed no malignant cells, meeting the criteria for complete remission.

The mother of patient Tran Bao Chi said that her child had acute lymphoblastic leukemia and had been treated since he was 2 years old. Although he had undergone 5 cycles of chemotherapy and 3 cycles of a stronger chemotherapy regimen in 2022 to early 2023, the disease did not improve. The patient was in serious condition with an enlarged liver, enlarged spleen, swollen lips with no visible nose, atrophied arm and leg muscles, skin and bones, and frequent fevers...

Professor Nguyen Thanh Liem (right) and Dr. Bach Quoc Khanh, President of the Vietnam Hematology and Blood Transfusion Association, answer the press

In June 2023, the child was admitted to Vinmec Times City Hospital to continue chemotherapy and prepare for treatment with T immune cells that are transduced with an artificial gene (CAR-T) to help find and destroy cancer cells.

After many consultations and discussions with colleagues from Vinmec International General Hospital and the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, Professor Nguyen Thanh Liem and the research team decided to use CAR-T cell therapy for the patient because this was the patient's last chance to live.

According to Professor Nguyen Thanh Liem, on July 19, 2023, the patient received a CAR-T cell transfusion. After the transfusion, although the child showed signs of cytokine release syndrome, it was detected and treated promptly. After 30 days, the patient regained consciousness, returned to normal activities, and showed no signs of neurotoxicity.

Through a series of rigorous tests, the patient was concluded to have no more cancer cells in his peripheral blood, and the bone marrow biopsy results showed that the patient was completely cured of cancer. The patient was discharged from the hospital on August 21, 2023.

A great success in the medical industry

Chairman of the Vietnam Hematology and Blood Transfusion Association Bach Quoc Khanh said that lymphoblastic leukemia is one of the most common cancers in children, and the standard treatment methods to date for this disease include chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and targeted therapy. However, with standard treatment regimens, about 20% of children still have drug resistance or relapse. These children often die within a short time because the cells proliferate very quickly, blocking blood vessels in the brain and internal organs.

Baby Tran Bao Chi is active again after treatment

According to Dr. Khanh, CAR-T therapy has been licensed in several countries around the world for the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia or lymphoma that does not respond to standard treatment regimens, achieving good results of 60-80%.

“As someone who treats patients with blood diseases, I feel happy and proud that Vietnam is catching up with the world's new advances,” the President of the Vietnam Hematology and Blood Transfusion Association emphasized.

Professor Nguyen Thanh Liem - Director of Vinmec Stem Cell and Gene Technology Research Institute said that a case of acute lymphoblastic leukemia treatment with CAR-T cell therapy in the US costs 1.5 million USD, while in Singapore it costs about 300,000-400,000 USD. The case of acute lymphoblastic leukemia treatment with CAR-T cell therapy at Vinmec is estimated to cost about 2.5-3 billion VND.

Professor Liem analyzed: “The reason why the cost of performing at Vinmec Hospital is only 1/10 of that in the US is because the Hospital has been equipped by the Group with a system of modern machinery and facilities and has been transferred techniques to self-cultivate genes and cells, so the cost is much lower, without having to send blood samples to other facilities or abroad.”

In the Project, the Hospital plans to perform the procedure on 16 patients, including 8 patients with acute leukemia and 8 patients with lymphoma, sponsored by the group. Patients performing the procedure in the project do not have to pay the cost of the procedure.

The baby's family took a photo with the medical team

Vinmec Research Institute of Stem Cell and Gene Technology (VRISG) under Vinmec Healthcare System is implementing the Project "Phase I clinical trial to evaluate the safety and initial efficacy of CAR-T cell therapy produced using Miltenyi technology to treat relapsed or refractory CD19+ non-Hodgkin lymphoma and acute lymphoblastic leukemia."

This is a key project of Vinmec Healthcare System to apply one of the leading technologies in cancer treatment in Vietnam.

This is the first clinical trial on CAR-T cell therapy approved by the Ministry of Health to be implemented in Vietnam. The project is funded by Vingroup. All patients participating in the project are free of charge./.

According to Vietnam+