Patients choose China not merely for the low cost of treatment, but because the country’s international hospitals offer a range of services—a critical factor, since CAR-T therapy can require intensive care and intervention from cardiologists, neurologists and other specialists.

Because CAR-T requires tailor-made cellular therapy for each patient, China’s ability to crank out the therapies in a matter of days—in laboratories just a short drive from Shanghai—can give it an edge over countries where the wait is longer.