IASO Biotechnology has entered into a technology licensing agreement with Instituto Butantan to enable the local development of CAR-T cell therapy for treating haematological cancers in Brazil. The collaboration represents a major step toward improving access to advanced and potentially life-saving therapies in the country.

The CAR-T therapy leverages a patient’s own immune cells, which are engineered to identify and attack cancer cells. Under the agreement, development and manufacturing will take place at the Advanced Therapies Centre of São Paulo (Nutera-SP), a specialised facility equipped for cell therapy production and coordinated by Butantan.

One of the key objectives of this partnership is to significantly reduce the cost of treatment, which currently can reach up to USD 500,000 per patient and remains largely limited to private healthcare in Brazil. By enabling local production through a public institution, the initiative aims to facilitate future integration into Brazil’s Unified Health System (SUS), thereby broadening access to patients who would otherwise be unable to afford such therapies.

According to Esper Kallás, the collaboration will help expand access to cutting-edge treatments within the public healthcare system, addressing a critical gap in cancer care. Experts involved in the initiative also highlight that locally developed CAR-T therapies could offer new hope for patients who no longer respond to conventional treatments.

For IASO Bio, the partnership aligns with its global strategy to expand the reach of its cell therapy innovations beyond China and into emerging markets such as Latin America. The company specialises in developing advanced therapies for haematological malignancies and autoimmune diseases, supported by integrated capabilities across research, development, manufacturing and commercialisation.

The partnership brings together IASO Bio’s technological expertise and Butantan’s strong public health infrastructure, creating a pathway to make advanced cancer treatments more accessible, affordable and scalable in Brazil.