Reply to: Comments on 'Cost of decentralized CAR T cell production in an academic non-profit setting'

摘要

Dear Editors, We have read with interest the comments by Schmitt et al to our study of the "cost of decentralized CAR T-cell production in an academic setting." While the letter confirms the sensitivity of the topic, in our view it is, at least in part, a result of misunderstandings by its authors. Importantly, our study is not based on "scientific modeling" (as suggested in the letter) but rather on the application of standard cost accounting techniques using empirical data. Our objective has been to increase the transparency of one cost component often cited as a reason for certain pricing policies, and to illuminate the potential to reduce manufacturing cost and improve efficiency offered by an alternative to commercial products and their high acquisition costs. Unfortunately, in their letter, the authors do not contribute to the much-needed transparency, as they claim that in their experience the (undefined) "real-life financial effort... differs dramatically" from our analysis, but do not offer any quantitative information to support their claim.