Novartis has formed a broad alliance with the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) for the research, development and commercialisation of targeted chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) cancer immunotherapies. Novartis will gain exclusive rights to CAR-based therapies developed through the collaboration for all indications, including CART-19, which is being studied in a pilot clinical trial. Novartis will also contribute US$20 M towards a new research facility, the Center for Advanced Cellular Therapies, at UPenn’s Philadelphia campus.