BioCentury
DATA GRAPHICS | Data Byte

Cell therapy Phase I activity accelerates on China surge

Phase I cell therapy starts outpaced other new modalities in 2021-25, with China biotechs driving the growth

By Lindsay Martin, Biopharma Analyst, C. Simone Fishburn, Editor in Chief, and Meredith Durkin Wolfe, Director of Research
April 23, 2026 11:17 PM UTC

Despite persistent manufacturing challenges for autologous CAR Ts and limited clinical validation for off-the-shelf alternatives, Phase I cell therapy trial starts are accelerating rather than retrenching, driven largely by a surge from China’s biotech sector.

From 2021-25, cell therapies far outnumbered other emerging modalities in Phase I trial starts analyzed by BioCentury, including bispecific antibodies, ADCs, RNAi, radioligand therapies and gene therapies. The analysis was based on study start dates for industry-sponsored trials listed in ClinicalTrials.gov...