Romania enters the era of cellular therapies: the first national ATMP-HUB center to be built at Fundeni Clinical Institute

Minister of Health Alexandru Rogobete announced yesterday the launch of the National Center for Research and Production of Advanced Cellular Therapies – ATMP-HUB – which will be developed within the Fundeni Clinical Institute, with an investment of €29.8 million through the Health Program – STEP Project.

“Romania is entering the era of cellular therapies. Through ATMP-HUB, we are moving from reaction to innovation, from treatment to transformation in oncology. This is a step that defines the direction we want for Romanian medicine – toward research, innovation, and life-changing solutions,” said Minister Rogobete.

The new center will be built to international standards and will include GMP-compliant production areas, quality control laboratories, sterile rooms, and spaces dedicated to research and innovation. The estimated completion time is 18 months.

The project also marks the development of Romania’s first CAR-T anti-CDH17 therapy, intended for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer – a disease that until now has offered very few real treatment options. The therapy uses the patient’s own cells, reprogrammed to recognize and destroy tumor cells, representing a significant step toward personalized medicine.

“Around this project, we will form a multidisciplinary team of doctors, biologists, chemists, engineers, and researchers. Professionals who will no longer have to leave the country to work with cutting-edge technologies, but will develop them here, for our patients,” the minister emphasized.

Rogobete thanked the Fundeni Institute team, led by Prof. Anca Coliță and Prof. Alina Tănase, for their commitment: “Through your professionalism and dedication, the Romanian healthcare system is taking concrete steps toward performance. Trust does us good – and we turn it, day by day, into actions that change lives.”