Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma. When it comes back after treatment or stops responding, CAR T-cell therapy may be an option. Four CAR T-cell therapies are approved by China's NMPA for large B-cell lymphoma, the group DLBCL belongs to. SinoUnited Health in Shanghai administers all four for relapsed or refractory DLBCL.
Plain, general information about the disease — the shared starting point before we get to treatment.
Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common type of aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma. It develops from B-lymphocytes — a type of white blood cell — and tends to grow quickly, which is why it is usually treated soon after diagnosis. Most people are first treated with combination chemotherapy, often with an antibody therapy, and many go into remission.
When DLBCL does not respond to first treatment, or comes back afterward, it is described as refractory (it did not respond, or stopped responding) or relapsed (it returned after a period of remission). Relapsed or refractory DLBCL is harder to treat with standard chemotherapy, and this is the situation in which CAR T-cell therapy is considered.
Not a first treatment — a later option, targeted at a protein found on B-cells.
CAR T-cell therapy reprograms your own T-cells to recognize and attack cancer cells. For DLBCL and other large B-cell lymphomas, the therapies used are directed at CD19, a protein found on the surface of B-cells.
It is generally considered after other treatments have been tried — for relapsed or refractory disease — rather than as a first treatment.
Four CD19-directed CAR-T treatments administered at SinoUnited Health. Which is right for you is decided by the clinical team.
These CAR T-cell therapies are approved by China's NMPA for large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL) — the group of aggressive lymphomas that diffuse large B-cell lymphoma is the most common form of.
A Chinese-developed CD19-directed CAR T-cell therapy for large B-cell lymphoma.
About Relma-cel for DLBCLA CD19-directed CAR T-cell therapy for adults with relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma after two or more prior lines of systemic therapy.
About CNCT19 for DLBCLA CD19-directed CAR T-cell therapy for adults with relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma after two or more prior therapies.
About HICARA for DLBCLA CD19-directed CAR T-cell therapy for large B-cell lymphoma.
About Axi-cel for DLBCLA condition may be treated by more than one therapy, and a therapy may treat more than one condition — each therapy page links back to the conditions it's used for.
Eligibility is assessed from your records — which means you can find out where you stand before traveling.
The following information is for reference only. Final treatment decisions should be made by a qualified physician based on each patient's individual condition.
Not suitable if: active uncontrolled infection · severe organ dysfunction · hypersensitivity to product components or conditioning chemotherapy · active CNS disease (unless stable and tolerated per the therapy's label) · pregnancy or breastfeeding.
This is a general guide only. Whether CAR-T is right for you is a decision made by a qualified physician after reviewing your individual case.
Treatment happens across two trips to Shanghai, with the manufacturing weeks spent at home.
A first visit of around a week to collect your cells by apheresis, on-site.
About 1 week in ShanghaiYour CAR-T therapy is made while you return home.
3 to 4 weeksYou return for the infusion and monitored recovery under the clinical team.
About 3 weeks in ShanghaiAbout two months from first assessment to the end of treatment, with the manufacturing period spent at home.
See the full step-by-step journey →Kept deliberately separate: what is true of this class of therapy in general, and what SinoUnited provides.
CAR T-cell therapy has side effects that are anticipated and closely monitored — most commonly cytokine release syndrome (CRS), and sometimes neurological effects (ICANS). Most are manageable when caught early, which is why treatment is given as a supervised inpatient stay.
SinoUnited delivers infusion and recovery with on-site intensive care available if escalation is ever needed.
Tocilizumab, the standard treatment for severe cytokine release syndrome, is available on site.
5on-site ICUsRelapsed and refractory DLBCL is treated at SinoUnited's CAR T-Cell Therapy Center by Dr. Lily Zhou, M.D., Ph.D., Chief of Hematology, with a postdoctoral fellowship at UCSF, 25 publications indexed in PubMed, and peer-reviewed research in CAR T-cell therapy.
Since 2024 the CAR T-Cell Therapy Center has treated more than 35 patients from twelve countries.
SinoUnited is also a member unit of the Ruijin Consortium of Blood Disease, led by Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University — one of China's leading hematology collaborations.
Dr. Zhou's publications are cited as evidence of her standing as a published physician. They are not, and must not be read as, a response rate, success rate, or an indication of outcomes across patients.
Read Dr. Zhou's profile
SinoUnited offers CAR-T as an all-inclusive “2+21” package — covering the collection stay and the three-week infusion stay. The full breakdown of what's included, and pricing, lives on the Costs page as a single source of truth.
Yes — CAR T-cell therapy is generally considered for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma that is relapsed (it has returned) or refractory (it did not respond, or stopped responding) after other treatments. A qualified physician decides based on your individual condition.
Large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL) is an umbrella term for a group of aggressive lymphomas. DLBCL is the most common form within it. The therapies here are approved for large B-cell lymphoma.
Yes — SinoUnited's international care team reviews your records remotely, at no cost, before any travel.
A remote assessment by SinoUnited's international care team is free, and starts before you travel. Find out whether CAR-T is an option before you plan any trip.