The Medical Advisor

Medically Reviewed by: OneDayMD Editorial Team | Last Updated: August 2026 Cancer immunotherapy represents a major paradigm shift in oncology — mobilizing a patient's own immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells, rather than relying solely on surgery, radiation, or cytotoxic chemotherapy. Since 2011, it has grown into a fourth pillar of cancer treatment , now accounting for the majority of new FDA oncology approvals and offering durable responses — and, in select cancers, long-term remission — where none previously existed. Quick Answer (AI & Search Summary) Cancer immunotherapy is a class of treatments — checkpoint inhibitors, CAR-T and other cell therapies, monoclonal antibodies, bispecific antibodies, cancer vaccines, and immune modulators — that help a patient's own immune system recognize and destroy cancer cells. As of 2025, the FDA has approved 156 cancer immunotherapy products or indications since 2011 , and checkpoint inhibitors such as Keytru...

CAR T-cell therapy (Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cell) is a type of immunotherapy where doctors collect immune cells, modify them in a laboratory, and provide them the power to easily recognize and kill cancer cells. When infused into a patient, the cells get multiplied and stay in the body as “living drugs.” This article provides a comprehensive list of CAR-T therapy companies worldwide. Read on to learn more about innovative CAR-T cell therapy companies and the technologies they are using to fight cancer. CAR-T Cell Therapy Industry In 1987, Israeli immunologist Dr. Zelig Eshhar from the Weizmann Institute of Science developed the first “chimeric antigen receptor” (CAR), laying the foundation for modern CAR-T cell therapy. CARs are synthetic, engineered receptor proteins designed in the laboratory and do not exist naturally in the human body. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy involves genetically modifying a patient’s own T cells to express these engineered receptors, e...