THE CHALLENGE
Access, not science, is the barrier today.
Advanced therapies are already saving lives, but in South America they remain out of reach due to their cost, limited infrastructure, and lack of centers to manufacture and administer them.
CAR-T therapies are highly effective against certain hematological cancers, yet they depend on imports and costly logistics that deepen inequality in access to life-saving treatments.
2nd line
IN LYMPHOMA B AND ACUTE LEUKEMIA
1
POINT-OF-CARE MANUFACTURING
OUR MODEL
Manufacture close to the patient and in partnership.
We produce CAR-T therapies in Uruguay and the region, reducing costs and avoiding the logistics of centralized manufacturing. We do this in partnership with public institutions and world-renowned centers of excellence, which contribute technology transfer and international quality standards.
01
Point-of-care manufacturing
Local production that brings therapy closer to those who need it and lowers geographical and economic barriers.
02
Strategic alliances
Public hospitals and international reference centers to transfer technology and ensure quality.
03
Access before profitability
A model designed to give continuity to the program and a predictable path for patients with few alternatives.
CAR-T THERAPIES
Reprogram the immune system to attack cancer with precision.
What are they?
An immunotherapy that uses the patient's own T cells: they are collected, genetically modified to recognize specific cancer cells, and reinfused, where they multiply and destroy them.
Why they work
Thanks to personalized chimeric receptors, they identify molecules on tumor cells and minimize damage to healthy cells. They have achieved high remission rates in advanced or refractory hematological cancers.
Second line of treatment
They are becoming established as a second-line treatment for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and acute lymphoblastic leukemia in patients who do not respond to initial therapies. The remaining challenge is making them accessible.
POTENTIAL
Beyond hematology.
The scope of CAR-T therapy extends beyond blood cancers. Research is underway in solid tumors, infectious diseases, autoimmune disorders, and genetic conditions, leveraging its ability to redirect and modulate the immune system.
CARTA PROGRAM
Nationally produced CAR-T therapy, in conjunction with the Hospital de Clínicas.
CARTA is a joint initiative between Aviv Therapeutics and the Hospital de Clínicas, the university hospital of the Universidad de la República, to develop and produce CAR-T therapy within the country. Its goal is for patients to access one of the most advanced treatments in hematologic oncology without leaving Uruguay.
The program is supported by the Hematology Chair of the Faculty of Medicine and by the capabilities of the National Institute of Donation and Transplant (INDT), based in the hospital itself.
FIRST INDICATION
Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma
FIRST PATIENTS
2026-2027
HEADQUARTERS
Hospital de Clínicas, UdelaR
PRIORITY
Access and continuity
EQUIPMENT
Entrepreneurs and scientists with a clear mission.
A team that brings together science, manufacturing, quality and management to make history in Uruguay: giving access to disruptive and effective treatments to dozens of patients per year.
Alvaro Pittini
Scientific Director
Valentina Pérez
Manufacturing Specialist
Pablo Garfinkel
Co-Founder
Bernardina Rivera
Manager QA/QC and Ops
Veronica Kaufmann
QA/QC Coordinator
Casilda Estrada
Co-Founder
Irena Chacón
Manufacturing Specialist
Cecilia Vázquez
Operations
Emiliano Trias
Advisor
Julia Sanguinetti
Manufacturing Specialist
Sergio Fogel
Co-Founder
Josefina Correa
Advisor
CLINICAL HOSPITAL · LETTER PROGRAM
Associated clinical team.
The clinical component of the CARTA Program is managed by specialists from the Hospital de Clínicas (University of the Republic). They participate as part of the hospital, in collaboration with Aviv Therapeutics, and are not part of the company's team.
Sofia Grille
Professor, Academic Unit of Hematology (G5)
Matilde Boada
Adjunct Professor, Academic Unit of Hematology (G3)
Victoria Matosas
Assistant, Academic Unit of Hematology (G2)
Felipe Lemos
Professor, Academic Unit of Transfusion Medicine (G5)
CONTACT
Let's talk.
Are you a patient, family member, healthcare institution, referral center, or investor? Write to us and we'll schedule a conversation.