Cencora-Kite Agreement Signals CGT Commercialization Shift

Cencora has announced an agreement with Kite to support US distribution of the company's two FDA-approved CAR T-cell therapies, Yescarta (axicabtagene ciloleucel) and Tecartus (brexucabtagene autoleucel).^`As Kite expands its treatment center network, it will leverage Cencora’s distribution infrastructure and services to support efficient access and reduce administrative burdens across sites of care, ultimately helping bring CAR T-cell therapies closer to patients who need them.¹

How Could the Cencora–Kite Agreement Reduce Time to Therapy?

A central aim of the collaboration is to reduce operational friction across logistics and administration that poses challenges to community oncology practices and health systems that administer CAR T-cell therapies.¹ For many patients, access to CAR T-cell therapies can be limited by systemic and institutional barriers, like capacity constraints, clinical and operational complexity, and complex reimbursement mechanisms.²

Under the agreement, Cencora’s role will span:

• Order management across care cites
• Specialty distribution infrastructure and expertise, including cold-chain and time-sensitive logistics
• Ongoing access support to help ATCs focus on patient care rather than complex administrative coordination

“Cell therapies are individualized treatments made from a patient’s own cells, and pose unique challenges to healthcare providers, including health systems and community practices,” said Melissa Lattanzi, vice president of emerging therapies at Cencora. “As Kite expands its treatment center network, we will leverage our distribution infrastructure and services to support efficient access and reduce administrative burdens — including order management — across sites of care, advancing Kite’s goal to bring therapies closer to patients’ homes.”

The agreement covers both new and existing sites within Kite's treatment center network, with Cencora's services intended to support a seamless experience across health systems and community oncology practices as the network grows.¹

According to Cencora, through its cell and gene therapy (CGT) service line, the company provides manufacturers with integrated solutions across the product lifecycle from market entry through commercial execution.¹ That end-to-end infrastructure is central to what Kite is looking to leverage as it scales.

Why Does Patient Access to CAR T-Cell Therapy Remain a Challenge?

CAR T-cell therapies are autologous — manufactured from a patient's own T-cells — demanding a complex supply chain and access profile. Each treatment requires precise coordination between the treatment center, the manufacturer, and the distribution network, with timing that can directly affect patient outcomes.

A January 2026 analysis reported that 65% of community oncologists noted patients deteriorate before CAR T administration, with payer approval timelines cited as a rate-limiting factor.² A national survey of oncology professionals conducted by the Association of Cancer Care Centers identified travel distance to an authorized treatment center, ability to travel for evaluation, ability to meet caregiver requirements, affordability, and prior authorization delays as the top five obstacles to timely CAR T evaluation, underscoring that the access problem is both clinical and operational.

“Our focus is on ensuring every appropriate patient who needs our CAR T-cell therapies can access and benefit from these treatments,” said Christophe Griolet, US vice president and general manager at Kite. “Cencora has a proven track record of supporting complex therapies. As we expand our treatment center network, Cencora’s specialty distribution infrastructure and expertise will support a seamless experience across new and existing sites, reducing provider barriers and enabling us to meet patients where they are.”¹

Why Is Specialty Distribution Infrastructure Critical to the Future of CAR T?

The Cencora–Kite announcement comes as the broader CGT distribution landscape is being tested by the prospect of scale. At the 2026 Asembia specialty pharmacy summit, industry panelists questioned whether existing distribution and payment models—originally designed for low-volume, ultra-rare indications—are ready for the higher volumes anticipated with broader CGT adoption.

Cencora, one of the pharmaceutical industry’s “Big Three” wholesalers alongside McKesson and Cardinal Health, has been investing in CGT-specific capabilities ahead of this inflection point. The company is executing a $1 billion infrastructure investment through 2030, which includes a planned 530,000 square-foot national distribution center in Ohio featuring advanced automation, AI integration, and expanded cold-chain capacity.

For manufacturers like Kite, this combination of distribution scale and CGT-specific expertise in order management and site-of-care support represents a key lever to close the gap between therapy availability and patient access.

What Does this Mean for Specialty Pharma?

The Cencora–Kite agreement signals a broader shift in how cell and gene therapies are commercialized — one where specialty distributors play an increasingly central role not just in moving product, but in reducing the institutional friction that stands between a treatment and the patient who needs it. As CAR T-cell therapy expands into more community settings, the ability to absorb administrative complexity at the distributor level will become a competitive differentiator for manufacturers choosing commercial partners.

References

1. Cencora to support US distribution of Kite's CAR T-cell therapies. Cencora Newsroom. June 2, 2026. Accessed June 2, 2026. https://www.cencora.com/newsroom/cencora-to-support-us-distribution-of-kites-car-t-cell-therapies
2. Chandani, K. U., & Khera, N. (2026). Bridging the gap: Identifying and overcoming barriers to CAR-T access through streamlined and standardized pathways. Mayo Clinic Proceedings: Innovations, Quality & Outcomes, 10(1), 100693. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mayocpiqo.2025.100693
3. Association of Cancer Care Centers. Policy and systems solutions to expand timely access to CAR T-cell therapy: findings from a national survey of oncology professionals. Blood. Published online December 5, 2025. doi:10.1182/blood-2025-053856. Accessed June 2, 2026. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006497125053856