Beyond the Price Tag: Rethinking Value for Transformative Therapies

Published 9 September 2026

Author(s): Sandra H. Blumenrath, Maria Paula Bautista Acelas, Laura Okpala, & Tom Whitehead

Why Tomorrow’s Medicine Demands a New Definition of Value

The price of CAR-T therapy often dominates the conversation. Yet for patients and families, the true value of these therapies cannot be measured by cost alone.

By the time a patient becomes eligible for CAR-T, they have often endured multiple lines of treatment, several hospitalizations, unsuccessful therapies, and the emotional uncertainty that accompanies a life-threatening diagnosis. The healthcare system has invested substantial resources along the way as well. Viewed in that context, the question shifts from “How much does this therapy cost?” to something far more consequential:

Are healthcare systems measuring value in the right way?