Kite Development Intern

BBG Advanced Therapies launches Mobile Leukapheresis Center, in collaboration with Kite to bring CAR T-cell therapies closer to patients. BBG Advanced Therapies, a subsidiary of San Antonio-based nonprofit BioBridge Global, today announced a collaboration with Kite, a Gilead Company and global leader in cell therapy, to deploy BBG Advanced Therapies' Mobile Leukapheresis Center (MLC) across Texas - marking an important milestone in how patients can access Kite's CAR T-cell therapies which are individualized cancer treatments made from a patient's own cells. San Antonio, Texas, July 07, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) - BBG Advanced Therapies, a subsidiary of nonprofit BioBridge Global (BBG), today announced a collaboration with Kite, a Gilead Company and global leader in cell therapy, to deploy BBG Advanced Therapies' Mobile Leukapheresis Center (MLC) across Texas - marking an important milestone in how patients can access Kite's CAR T-cell therapies which are individualized cancer treatments made from a patient's own cells. Kite has helped pioneer CAR T-cell therapies, changing the outlook for patients with certain blood cancers. Operating across Texas, the MLC is a first-of-its-kind platform that brings the initial T-cell collection step directly to patients in their communities, aligning with Kite's strategy to scale access to cell therapy and reach more eligible people closer to home. By meeting patients where they are, this model reduces travel and caregiver burdens, shortens logistical pathways, and helps clear a major hurdle to broader adoption of advanced therapies. "Kite has treated more than 34,500 patients with CAR T-cell therapy - more than any other company - yet only about 2 in 10 eligible patients in the U.S. receive these treatments today," said Adrienne B. Mendoza, MHA, Chief Operating Officer of BBG Advanced Therapies. "That gap underscores the need for new access models. Kite's experience building one of the world's most advanced cell therapy ecosystems makes it an ideal collaborator as we expand the infrastructure needed to bring these potentially curative therapies closer to more eligible patients in Texas." Once the initial T-cell collection or leukapheresis is complete, the T-cells are then sent to a Kite facility where a Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) gene is added and where the cells proliferate. After a short period, the patient's cells are sent back to an Authorized Treatment Center where the patient will receive a one-time infusion. Because these treatments are comprised of a patient's own cells, precision, consistency, and chain-of-identity are non-negotiable. BBG Advanced Therapies ensures that every collection meets rigorous quality standards and is fully integrated into Kite's GMP manufacturing workflow, reinforcing the strength and reliability of the end-to-end supply chain. For Texans today - and for regions around the world watching this model - this collaboration demonstrates how innovative infrastructure can unlock access to cutting-edge medicine. It shows how mobile, decentralized collection can help enable more patients to access cell therapy over time, so that transformative therapies are not limited by geography. The Texas deployment will serve as an important proof-of-concept model for additional markets, signaling how mobile collection infrastructure can support the continued growth of cell and gene therapies while maintaining the quality and consistency required for these complex, personalized medicines. About BBG Advanced Therapies: The newest subsidiary of San Antonio-based nonprofit BioBridge Global, BBG Advanced Therapies provides innovative and custom solutions to accelerate the development of cell and gene therapies. BBG Advanced Therapies features a fully integrated and custom portfolio of innovative solutions, including collection and processing of starting materials, testing, clinical trials support, and biomanufacturing services. Learn more at BBGAdvancedTherapies.org. About BioBridge Global: BioBridge Global (BBG) is a San Antonio-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit healthcare services enterprise that offers diverse services through its nonprofit subsidiaries - South Texas Blood & Tissue, QualTex Laboratories, BBG Advanced Therapies and The Blood & Tissue Center Foundation. BioBridge Global provides products and services in blood resource management, cellular therapy, donated umbilical cord blood and human tissue, as well as testing of blood, plasma and tissue products for clients in the United States and worldwide. The enterprise enables advances in the field of regenerative medicine and advanced therapies by providing access to starting materials, testing services and biomanufacturing and clinical trials support. BioBridge Global is committed to saving and enhancing lives through the healing power of human cells and tissue. Learn more at BioBridgeGlobal.org. management, cellular therapy, donated umbilical cord blood and human tissue, as well as testing of blood, plasma and tissue products for clients in the United States and worldwide. The enterprise enables advances in the field of regenerative medicine and advanced therapies by providing access to starting materials, testing services as well as biomanufacturing and clinical trials support. BioBridge Global is committed to saving and enhancing lives through the healing power of human cells and tissue. Learn more at BioBridgeGlobal.org. Attachments

Cencora-Kite agreement signals CGT commercialization shift. Cencora will support US distribution of Kite's Yescarta and Tecartus, reducing administrative burdens and expanding CAR T-cell therapy access at authorized treatment centers. Cencora has announced an agreement with Kite to support US distribution of the company's two FDA-approved CAR T-cell therapies, Yescarta (axicabtagene ciloleucel) and Tecartus (brexucabtagene autoleucel).[`] As Kite expands its treatment center network, it will leverage Cencora's distribution infrastructure and services to support efficient access and reduce administrative burdens across sites of care, ultimately helping bring CAR T-cell therapies closer to patients who need them.[1] How could the Cencora-Kite agreement reduce time to therapy? A central aim of the collaboration is to reduce operational friction across logistics and administration that poses challenges to community oncology practices and health systems that administer CAR T-cell therapies.[1] For many patients, access to CAR T-cell therapies can be limited by systemic and institutional barriers, like capacity constraints, clinical and operational complexity, and complex reimbursement mechanisms.[2] Under the agreement, Cencora's role will span: * Order management across care cites * Specialty distribution infrastructure and expertise, including cold-chain and time-sensitive logistics * Ongoing access support to help ATCs focus on patient care rather than complex administrative coordination "Cell therapies are individualized treatments made from a patient's own cells, and pose unique challenges to healthcare providers, including health systems and community practices," said Melissa Lattanzi, vice president of emerging therapies at Cencora. "As Kite expands its treatment center network, we will leverage our distribution infrastructure and services to support efficient access and reduce administrative burdens - including order management - across sites of care, advancing Kite's goal to bring therapies closer to patients' homes." The agreement covers both new and existing sites within Kite's treatment center network, with Cencora's services intended to support a seamless experience across health systems and community oncology practices as the network grows.[1] According to Cencora, through its cell and gene therapy (CGT) service line, the company provides manufacturers with integrated solutions across the product lifecycle from market entry through commercial execution.[1] That end-to-end infrastructure is central to what Kite is looking to leverage as it scales. Why does patient access to CAR t-cell therapy remain a challenge? CAR T-cell therapies are autologous - manufactured from a patient's own T-cells - demanding a complex supply chain and access profile. Each treatment requires precise coordination between the treatment center, the manufacturer, and the distribution network, with timing that can directly affect patient outcomes. A January 2026 analysis reported that 65% of community oncologists noted patients deteriorate before CAR T administration, with payer approval timelines cited as a rate-limiting factor.[2] A national survey of oncology professionals conducted by the Association of Cancer Care Centers identified travel distance to an authorized treatment center, ability to travel for evaluation, ability to meet caregiver requirements, affordability, and prior authorization delays as the top five obstacles to timely CAR T evaluation, underscoring that the access problem is both clinical and operational. "Our focus is on ensuring every appropriate patient who needs our CAR T-cell therapies can access and benefit from these treatments," said Christophe Griolet, US vice president and general manager at Kite. "Cencora has a proven track record of supporting complex therapies. As we expand our treatment center network, Cencora's specialty distribution infrastructure and expertise will support a seamless experience across new and existing sites, reducing provider barriers and enabling us to meet patients where they are."[1] Why is specialty distribution infrastructure critical to the future of CAR T? The Cencora-Kite announcement comes as the broader CGT distribution landscape is being tested by the prospect of scale. At the 2026 Asembia specialty pharmacy summit, questioned whether existing distribution and payment models - originally designed for low-volume, ultra-rare indications - are ready for the higher volumes anticipated with broader CGT adoption. Cencora, one of the pharmaceutical industry's "Big Three" wholesalers alongside McKesson and Cardinal Health, has been investing in CGT-specific capabilities ahead of this inflection point. The company is executing a, which includes a planned 530,000 square-foot national distribution center in Ohio featuring advanced automation, AI integration, and expanded cold-chain capacity. For manufacturers like Kite, this combination of distribution scale and CGT-specific expertise in order management and site-of-care support represents a key lever to close the gap between therapy availability and patient access. What does this mean for specialty pharma? The Cencora-Kite agreement signals a broader shift in how cell and gene therapies are commercialized - one where specialty distributors play an increasingly central role not just in moving product, but in reducing the institutional friction that stands between a treatment and the patient who needs it. As CAR T-cell therapy expands into more community settings, the ability to absorb administrative complexity at the distributor level will become a competitive differentiator for manufacturers choosing commercial partners. References. * Cencora to support US distribution of Kite's CAR T-cell therapies. Cencora Newsroom. June 2, 2026. Accessed June 2, 2026. * Chandani, K. U., & Khera, N. (2026). Bridging the gap: Identifying and overcoming barriers to CAR-T access through streamlined and standardized pathways. Mayo Clinic Proceedings: Innovations, Quality & Outcomes, 10(1), 100693. * Association of Cancer Care Centers. Policy and systems solutions to expand timely access to CAR T-cell therapy: findings from a national survey of oncology professionals. Blood. Published online December 5, 2025. doi:10.1182/blood-2025-053856. Accessed June 2, 2026.

Gilead completes Arcellx buy, securing myeloma treatment anito-cel. Acquisition gives Gilead's Kite full control of CAR T-cell therapy Gilead said it has completed its $7.8 billion acquisition of Arcellx, a deal the company hopes will allow it to streamline and accelerate the development of experimental myeloma treatment anito-cel (anitocabtagene autoleucel). Arcellx has been collaborating with Gilead subsidiary Kite Pharma to develop the cell therapy. Gilead said the acquisition brings the therapy's developers under a single corporate umbrella, eliminating the need to coordinate between companies. "With the Arcellx acquisition, our focus turns to executing with speed and discipline as we prepare to bring anito-cel to patients," Cindy Perettie, executive vice president and global head of Kite, said in a press release from Gilead. Myeloma is a type of blood cancer marked by the uncontrolled growth of plasma cells, a type of immune cell. Anito-cel is a CAR T-cell therapy, a type of anticancer treatment that works by harnessing the deadly capabilities of cancer-killing immune cells called T-cells. With anito-cel, a patient's T-cells are collected and taken to a lab to equip them with a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR), a human-made protein that directs the cells to attack a particular molecular target. Anito-cel uses a CAR that targets the BCMA protein, which is expressed by myeloma cells. Following a short round of chemotherapy to wipe out existing immune cells, the engineered cells are infused into the patient's body to go after the cancer. Recommended Reading Phase 3 study recruiting. The CAR used in anito-cel features a molecular motif called the D-domain. Data have shown this structural change may help limit side effects associated with CAR therapies. A Phase 2 study called iMMagine-1 (NCT05396885) tested anito-cel in more than 100 people with hard-to-treat myeloma. Results showed that most patients were alive and free of disease progression two years after a single treatment with the cell therapy. Kite is sponsoring a Phase 3 study called iMMagine-3 (NCT06413498), which aims to test anito-cel against standard therapies in people with myeloma who have failed to respond or have relapsed after one to three previous lines of therapy. The study is recruiting participants at sites in the U.S., Europe, Canada, Japan, and Australia. "With this acquisition, anito-cel and the differentiated D-Domain BCMA binder will advance within Kite, combining this science with our global manufacturing, regulatory and commercial capabilities to unlock the full value of this potentially transformative therapy for people living with multiple myeloma," Perettie said.