CAR-T cell therapy has become one of the most important advances in modern cancer treatment, offering new options for patients with certain blood cancers such as leukemia and lymphoma. However, access to CAR-T therapy varies widely around the world.
In Latin America, the availability of CAR-T therapy is still limited, with only a few countries offering the treatment and most programs still in early development stages.
Below is an overview of where CAR-T therapy is available in Latin America in 2026.
Brazil
Brazil currently has the most developed CAR-T ecosystem in Latin America.
Approved CAR-T products include:
- Kymriah (tisagenlecleucel)
- Yescarta (axicabtagene ciloleucel)
Main medical centers offering CAR-T therapy include:
- Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein – São Paulo
- Hospital Sírio Libanês – São Paulo
- Instituto do Câncer do Estado de São Paulo (ICESP)
In addition to commercial CAR-T products, several Brazilian academic institutions are developing their own CAR-T programs.
Photo: Lecture from #CART26 conference in Palma de Mallorca
Argentina
CAR-T therapy programs exist in Argentina, but they are mainly limited to clinical trials or compassionate-use programs.
Institutions involved in CAR-T research include:
- Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires
- Fundación Favaloro
Most programs remain research-based and access for international self-pay patients is currently limited.
Chile
Chile is developing early CAR-T research programs through academic and hospital collaborations.
Centers involved include:
- Clínica Alemana de Santiago
- Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile
These initiatives are mostly part of clinical trials or partnerships with international pharmaceutical companies, and routine clinical access remains limited.
Countries Where CAR-T Therapy Is Not Yet Available
In most Latin American countries, CAR-T therapy is still not available as a routine medical treatment.
Patients from the following countries typically need to travel abroad to receive CAR-T therapy:
- Bolivia
- Peru
- Ecuador
- Paraguay
- Uruguay
- Guatemala
- Honduras
- El Salvador
- Nicaragua
- Dominican Republic
- Panama
These countries generally do not yet have local CAR-T manufacturing capabilities, regulatory approvals, or specialized treatment centers.
Countries With Limited or Emerging Access
Mexico
Some early CAR-T work is being conducted at Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán. These efforts are mostly research-based or offered under compassionate-use programs, and commercial access is still limited.
Colombia
Investigational CAR-T programs are being developed at Fundación Santa Fe de Bogotá.
Availability remains very limited and mostly within research settings.
What Many Latin American Patients Do
Because access to CAR-T therapy is still limited across the region, many patients travel abroad to receive treatment.
Common destination countries include:
- United States
- Spain
- Germany
- Israel
- China
As CAR-T therapy continues to expand globally, more Latin American countries are expected to develop their own programs in the coming years. However, for many patients in the region today, international treatment remains the primary pathway to accessing this potentially life-saving therapy.
Publication date: March 2026.
