InFocus: Cell & Gene Therapy in Hong Kong

2025

Hong Kong is rapidly transforming from a regional observer into an active force in cell and gene therapy. Long known as a bridge between China and the world, the city is already delivering “Made in Hong Kong” CAR-T therapies under clinical trial conditions and boasts Asia’s first university-led GMP-certified CGT manufacturing centre. With the enticing combination of regulatory alignment to the West and direct access to China’s vast patient base, Hong Kong offers a unique strategic mix for biotechs looking to globalise pipelines and test advanced therapies in a high-trust environment.

While the intention is not to rival more established hubs, Hong Kong’s ecosystem is evolving quickly, supporting earlier intervention trials, refining pathways, and attracting mainland and international players eager to leverage its scientific and financial strengths. Clearly, Hong Kong is no longer content to watch from the sidelines; it is stepping forward and carving out its place as a credible player in the next generation of medicine.

Articles

Hong Kong and the Next Generation of Cell & Gene Therapies

With Hong Kong now host to a growing volume of public and private entities specializing in cell and gene therapy development, some market insiders spy great opportunities for the city, with its unique background context and characteristics, to play a role shaping the next wave of biomedicine discovery. Dr Tak Wah Mak, co-director of…

Hong Kong’s Biomedicine Scene: One of a Kind

At first glance, tiny and crowded Hong Kong may not look like an obvious destination for developing next-generation gene therapies, for all its financial firepower and international complexion. Delve deeper, however, and its distinctive and differentiated offering becomes ever more apparent. “While Hong Kong’s biomedical ecosystem certainly still lags behind more established life sciences…

“Made in Hong Kong” CAR-T: A Homegrown Breakthrough

In summer 2023, Hong Kong entered the next frontier of cancer care with the launch of its first hospital-based CAR-T clinical trial. Developed entirely within city limits by a team of clinicians and scientists at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), Prince of Wales Hospital, and the Hong Kong Institute of Biotechnology (HKIB), the…

Soaring Mainland Demand for Hong Kong Healthcare Insurance

Hong Kong has a burgeoning status within Greater China as an advanced therapy hub. The Special Administrative Region boasts clinical trial expertise, internationally aligned regulation, a lack of price caps, and the recently minted ability to produce cell and gene therapies within the city. This means that, today, more new treatments are available in Hong…

Open for Business: Inside Hong Kong’s Cell & Gene Therapy Ecosystem

Hong Kong’s unique history as a former British governate and current special status under the ‘one country, two systems’ administrative framework, endow it with many underlying advantages as a ‘talent magnet.’ From a professional standpoint, the city’s international connectivity, financial architecture, and efficient infrastructure already render it an appealing location for young entrepreneurs, not to…

CGT Manufacturing in Hong Kong: Towards Self-Sufficiency

In March 2024, the Advanced Therapy Product Good Manufacturing Practice Centre (ATP GMP Centre) at the Chinese University of Hong Kong’s (CUHK) Institute of Biotechnology (HKIB) became the first university-led centre within the special administrative region to receive certification for cell and gene therapy manufacturing and a license as an ATP manufacturer for clinical trials…