Zhaotai Bio’s CAR-T Therapy Makes First Foray into New Zealand

Summary

Wellington Zhaotai Therapies Limited (WZTL) and New Zealand's BioOra signed a CAR-T cell therapy technology sublicense agreement in Auckland on 3 November 2026, with a total contract value of USD 130 million. The technology was independently developed by Guangdong Zhaotai Cell Biotechnology Co. , Ltd.

(Zhaotai Bio), a Shunde-based company, and had previously been commercially licensed to WZTL. Zhaotai Bio holds 86.5 percent of WZTL, with New Zealand's MBL holding 13.5 percent. Under the agreement, the CAR-T therapy products will be further developed and commercialised in agreed international markets outside Greater China and India.

Tang Chaoyang, chairman of Zhaotai Bio, said the company hopes to continue working with BioOra and other partners to advance the development and commercialisation of the CAR-T therapy in international markets, translate scientific research into treatment options accessible to more patients, create more commercial returns and industry development opportunities for New Zealand, and further expand long-term cooperation space in the China-New Zealand biomedicine sector. The signing marks the first time a Shunde company has successfully commercially licensed a self-developed tumour immunocellular therapy product to a developed country. Zhaotai Bio settled in Shunde in 2020 and has made breakthroughs in immune cell therapies including CAR-T and ITNK.

In 2022, it commercially licensed an innovative CAR-T drug for lymphoma to India's Dr Reddy's Laboratories, and in 2024 China Customs officially approved its CAR-T cells for entry into Hong Kong hospitals.

Commentary

Zhaotai Bio's sublicensing of its self-developed CAR-T therapy technology to New Zealand's BioOra, with a contract value of USD 130 million, marks the first commercial licensing by a Chinese cell therapy company to a developed country. CAR-T therapy, a frontier in tumour immunotherapy, is projected to exceed USD 20 billion in global market size by 2030, but competition is intense, with giants such as Novartis and Gilead holding dominant positions. By establishing a joint venture, WZTL, in New Zealand and holding 86.5 percent, Zhaotai Bio has cleverly used New Zealand as a springboard into developed markets, circumventing regulatory barriers to direct entry into European and American markets.

For NZ SMEs, the cooperation not only brings direct technology introduction and commercial returns but could also drive the development of the local biotechnology supply chain, including demand for clinical trial services, cold-chain logistics and GMP manufacturing. At the same time, New Zealand's strict medicines regulatory environment (Medsafe) and relatively small market size also test the commercial viability of CAR-T therapy. Notably, the agreement excludes Greater China and India, indicating that Zhaotai Bio intends to use New Zealand to reach other international markets, and BioOra's local channels and registration experience will be key.

If the therapy is approved in New Zealand, it could become a model for China-New Zealand cooperation in high-end biomedicine, but attention must be paid to the pressure that the high cost of cell therapy places on the healthcare system.

Keywords: CAR-T cell therapy, Zhaotai Bio, technology sublicense agreement, BioOra, USD 130 million, Wellington Zhaotai Therapies, commercial licensing, tumour immunocellular therapy, China-New Zealand biomedicine cooperation, Shunde

Photo by kewl on Pixabay

Source: Foshan Federation of Industry and Commerce