Gastric Cancer CAR-T in China — The World's First Approved CLDN18.2 Cell Therapy
Advanced Cell Therapy · Only Approved in China
Gastric cancer CAR-T therapy (CLDN18.2-targeted) — the world's first and only approved CAR-T for gastric cancer — is available in China through certified cell-therapy treatment centres in our partner hospital network. If you or a family member has advanced gastric cancer that has progressed after two or more lines of treatment, this page explains exactly who qualifies and how eligibility is checked from abroad.
Why this therapy exists nowhere else
CAR-T cell therapy — reprogramming a patient's own immune T-cells to recognise and destroy cancer cells — transformed the treatment of blood cancers over the past decade. Solid tumours like gastric cancer were long considered out of reach: hard to target, hard for immune cells to penetrate.
That changed with satricabtagene autoleucel (satri-cel, 舒瑞基奥仑赛), a CAR-T therapy targeting Claudin 18.2 (CLDN18.2) — a protein that is largely restricted in normal tissue but abnormally abundant on the surface of many gastric cancer cells. Backed by a randomised controlled trial in heavily pre-treated patients, it received regulatory approval in China in 2025 as the world's first approved CAR-T therapy for gastric cancer.
For patients in countries where the therapy is not approved, China is currently where it can be accessed. This is a genuine difference in options, not a marketing claim — and it is why oncology teams abroad increasingly refer CLDN18.2-positive patients for evaluation here.
Who this treatment is for
Four core conditions, taken directly from the clinical screening criteria. All four must hold.
1 · The right diagnosis
Advanced gastric adenocarcinoma or gastro-oesophageal junction (GEJ) adenocarcinoma.
2 · The right treatment history
At least two prior lines of systemic therapy (typically platinum- and fluoropyrimidine-based, ± immunotherapy), with disease progression afterwards.
3 · The right target
CLDN18.2-positive tumour tissue on immunohistochemistry — expression intensity 2+ or 3+ in ≥40% of tumour cells. Existing pathology can be re-tested if this hasn't been checked.
4 · The right condition
Fit enough for cell therapy: no serious uncontrolled infection, assessable organ function, and able to wait ~2–3 weeks while cells are manufactured.
If any of the four is unclear from your documents, that is normal — the point of the records review is to establish them properly, including arranging CLDN18.2 testing of existing biopsy material.
The six documents that make screening fast
Send what you have; we help obtain or translate the rest.
| Document | What it establishes |
|---|---|
| 1 · Pathology report | Tumour type, differentiation, staging |
| 2 · CLDN18.2 test report (IHC) | Target expression — or we arrange testing of existing tissue |
| 3 · Full treatment history | Regimens, cycles, and response assessments (RECIST) |
| 4 · Recent imaging | Current disease status — enhanced CT or MRI with reports |
| 5 · Recent blood work | Blood counts, liver/kidney function, coagulation, tumour markers |
| 6 · Performance status | ECOG score, daily activity, main symptoms (pain, eating) |
How it works from abroad
- Records submitted remotely. The six documents above go to the cell-therapy team for structured screening — no travel until eligibility is confirmed. Start here.
- Written eligibility opinion. Eligible / not eligible / eligible pending CLDN18.2 testing — with reasoning your home oncologist can read.
- Travel planning. For eligible patients: treatment schedule, all-inclusive cost confirmation in writing, and a hospital visa invitation letter to support your visa application. A companion is expected — CAR-T is a family journey.
- Cell collection (leukapheresis). A 3–4 hour blood-cell collection; your T-cells then go to the manufacturer for engineering — about 2–3 weeks.
- Conditioning & infusion. Three days of preparatory treatment, then a single infusion of your engineered cells — about 30 minutes.
- Close monitoring. Inpatient monitoring (≥10 days) for known, manageable-when-caught-early effects such as cytokine release syndrome, then staying near the treatment centre for about 4 weeks post-infusion before flying home with translated records and a follow-up plan.
Availability note: satri-cel is administered at certified cell-therapy centres within our China partner network; treatment slots, the treating centre and final pricing are confirmed individually in writing after eligibility review. Read the practical timeline in detail in our CAR-T international patient journey guide.
Honest expectations
- This is a late-line therapy for patients whose disease has progressed despite standard treatment — in that setting, its randomised trial showed meaningful benefit over standard care. It is not a first-line option and not a cure-all.
- Not every patient qualifies. CLDN18.2 expression below threshold, rapid clinical decline, or uncontrolled complications can rule it out. Roughly checking the four conditions above before submitting records saves families time and false hope.
- Side effects are real and managed. Cytokine release syndrome (fever, low blood pressure) and neurological events are known risks of CAR-T; treatment happens at certified centres with trained teams and defined protocols precisely for this reason.
- Costs are confirmed before you commit. Cell therapy is a significant investment; you receive the full all-inclusive figure in writing after eligibility review — never a surprise on arrival. How our all-inclusive pricing works →
Frequently asked questions
Is this the same as the CAR-T used for lymphoma?
Same principle, different target. Lymphoma CAR-T targets CD19 on B-cells; satri-cel targets CLDN18.2 on gastric cancer cells. Lymphoma CAR-T is approved in many countries — gastric cancer CAR-T currently is not, which is why patients travel. See our overview of CAR-T in China.
My biopsy was never tested for CLDN18.2. Do I need a new biopsy?
Usually not — existing preserved tumour tissue can typically be tested. That is one of the first things the screening team arranges.
How long is the whole trip?
Plan for roughly 7–9 weeks in China: screening confirmation and cell collection, 2–3 weeks manufacturing, conditioning and infusion, then about 4 weeks of post-infusion monitoring near the centre.
How much does it cost?
Pricing is confirmed individually in writing after eligibility review — cell therapy pricing depends on the treating centre and clinical course. As context for CAR-T programmes generally, see the patient journey guide, which discusses package structures and what they include.
What if the review says I don't qualify?
You get that answer in writing, with reasons, plus whatever alternatives the multidisciplinary review considers realistic — at this hospital network (for example radiosurgery or other systemic options via the oncology programme) or at home. No eligible-by-default sales process.
Four conditions. Six documents. One clear written answer. If advanced gastric cancer has progressed after two lines of treatment, find out — properly — whether CLDN18.2 CAR-T is an option.