For the first time, Vietnam successfully treated a case of acute leukemia with the most difficult cell therapy.

For the first time in Vietnam, a 12-year-old female patient with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a high-risk group, was successfully treated with CAR-T cell therapy. This is the most difficult and complicated cell therapy today.

Prof. Dr. Phu Chi Dung, Director of Ho Chi Minh City Blood Transfusion and Hematology Hospital, at the press conference on the sidelines of the conference on the morning of September 16 - Photo: X.MAI

On the morning of September 16, on the sidelines of the 8th Vietnam Blood Transfusion - Hematology Conference, the 8th Vietnam - France Blood Transfusion - Transplantation - Cell Therapy Conference and the 30th Asia - Pacific Blood and Bone Marrow Stem Cell Transplantation Conference, Prof. Dr. Phu Chi Dung, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Blood Transfusion - Hematology Hospital, said that the hospital is the leading unit in the field of blood transfusion - hematology in Vietnam.

Currently, the hospital has deployed most of the new tests and techniques that the world is performing, helping patients no longer have to go abroad for treatment.

For chemotherapy, the hospital has accessed and fully implemented new regimens in the world.

Regarding rare and new drugs (such as targeted therapy, immunotherapy), thanks to the special mechanism assigned by the Ministry of Health and approved by the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health, the hospital proactively imports and promptly provides these drugs to patients.

According to Mr. Dung, the field considered the most difficult and complicated today is cell therapy, especially CAR-T cell.

In Vietnam, the Ho Chi Minh City Blood Transfusion and Hematology Hospital is the pioneer in implementing this technique in cooperation with foreign partners. Up to now, there have been 2 cases applied, of which 1 was successful and 1 was unsuccessful.

The first patient in Vietnam to be successfully treated with CAR-T cell therapy is a 12-year-old patient with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, high-risk group - Photo: Provided by the hospital

The successful treatment was a 12-year-old female patient diagnosed with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, high-risk group. After the first bone marrow relapse after chemotherapy, the patient received a half-matched bone marrow transplant from her father but still relapsed a second time.

The patient was then treated with CAR-T cell therapy, becoming the first case in Vietnam to apply this method. To date, after more than a year of treatment, the patient is still healthy, living a normal life and is being monitored and treated.

Regarding the process of infusing CAR-T cells for pediatric patients, it is carried out in Taiwan (China) because the cost is lower than other countries in the region and there is professional cooperation. However, the cost of treatment is still very high, estimated at tens of billions of VND.

Mr. Dung added that the hospital is actively preparing facilities, staff (doctors, nurses, certified technicians), and support from foreign experts to produce CAR-T cells in Vietnam.

The hospital's goal is to gradually master the technology, thereby dramatically reducing treatment costs. If CAR-T cells are produced in Vietnam, the expected cost could be reduced by about 20 times, down to less than VND500 million per case.

The hospital is also implementing a project at the Department of Science and Technology of Ho Chi Minh City, and is aiming for a project at the Ministry of Health to deploy this technique. The efficiency of self-production is expected to be very good, based on research in Japan.

The 8th Vietnam Blood Transfusion - Hematology Conference, the 8th Vietnam - France Open Blood Transfusion - Cell Therapy Transplant Conference and the 30th Asia - Pacific Blood and Bone Marrow Stem Cell Transplant Conference were held on a large scale, gathering many international and domestic experts, along with the latest scientific reports in the field.

At the conference, the latest scientific reports focused on many fields: blood transfusion, hematology, chemotherapy, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, targeted therapy, cell therapy, gene therapy, monoclonal antibodies, infections, stem cell banking, mesenchymal stem cells, blood banking, quality management, nursing...

The conference opened up opportunities for delegates and participating hospitals to learn and receive support from foreign experts in the field of training, helping to develop scientific research.

More than 1,500 delegates, including more than 300 experts and international delegates, are expected to attend the conference.

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/lan-dau-viet-nam-dieu-tri-thanh-cong-ca-bach-cau-cap-bang-lieu-phap-te-bao-kho-nhat-20250916113158036.htm