CARsgen's CAR-T Therapy Zevor-cel Added to China's Insurance Innovative Drug Catalogue

CARsgen Therapeutics, a biopharmaceutical company specializing in CAR T-cell therapies, announced the inclusion of its fully human BCMA-targeted CAR-T therapy, zevorcabtagene autoleucel (zevor-cel), in China’s newly established Commercial Health Insurance Innovative Drug Catalogue (2025). This catalogue, introduced by China’s National Healthcare Security Administration (NHSA), aims to support innovative drugs with significant clinical value and enhance drug accessibility under the country’s multi-layered insurance system. Zevor-cel is approved for treating adult patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma who have undergone at least three prior treatments including a proteasome inhibitor and immunomodulatory agent. The drug holds Marketing Authorization from the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) as of February 2024 and is commercially licensed in mainland China to Huadong Medicine, which has been active in expanding its provincial coverage and promoting its clinical use. Clinical trial data presented at the 2025 IMS Annual Meeting highlighted zevor-cel's strong safety profile and durable efficacy, with a 100% overall response rate and no severe toxicities such as grade 3 or higher cytokine release syndrome or neurotoxicity. Median progression-free survival and duration of response exceeded 43 months among complete responders, with a five-year patient survival rate nearing 77%. The inclusion in the Innovative Drug Catalogue reflects regulatory recognition of the therapy’s clinical importance and is expected to reduce patient financial burdens while improving access to advanced cell therapies. CARsgen continues to focus on development and commercialization efforts targeting unmet clinical needs in hematologic malignancies and beyond, aiming to deliver innovative CAR T-cell products to patients more efficiently and contribute to broader healthcare initiatives in China and globally.