Natural Killer (NK) Cell Therapeutics Global Market Report 2025

The natural killer (NK) cell therapeutics market size has grown rapidly in recent years. It will grow from $3.52 billion in 2024 to $3.96 billion in 2025 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.6%. The growth during the historical period can be attributed to factors such as the rise in cancer incidence, increased R&D funding, greater awareness of immunotherapy, growth in strategic industry partnerships, enhanced regulatory support, and advancements in cell expansion technologies.

The natural killer (NK) cell therapeutics market size is expected to see rapid growth in the next few years. It will grow to $6.3 billion in 2029 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.3%. The projected growth during the forecast period is driven by factors including an increase in clinical trials, rising investment in immunotherapy R&D, expanding applications in solid tumors, strategic collaborations, regulatory support for cell therapies, and growing demand for personalized cancer treatments. Key trends in the forecast period involve innovations in genetic engineering, advancements in CAR-NK therapies, improvements in cell expansion techniques, innovation in clinical trial activities, the development of off-the-shelf NK cell products, and progress in treatments for solid tumors.

The increasing prevalence of cancer is expected to drive the growth of the natural killer (NK) cell therapeutics market in the coming years. Cancer involves the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells that invade nearby tissues and spread to other parts of the body, disrupting normal cell regulation, forming tumors, and impairing bodily functions. Environmental factors, such as exposure to pollutants, tobacco smoke, and chemicals, can damage DNA and disturb cellular functions, increasing the risk of cancer. NK cell therapeutics treat cancer by directly targeting and eliminating tumor cells without the need for prior sensitization. For example, the American Cancer Society, a U.S.-based non-profit organization, reported in April 2024 that in 2022, 20 million new cancer cases were diagnosed, and 9.7 million people died from the disease worldwide. It is predicted that by 2050, the number of cancer cases will rise to 35 million, driven primarily by population growth. As a result, the growing prevalence of cancer is fueling the expansion of the NK cell therapeutics market.

Major companies are focusing on advancements such as developing scalable iPSC-based NK cell manufacturing platforms to enable cost-effective, off-the-shelf NK cell therapies. These platforms use induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to generate NK cells in a standardized, feeder-free, closed-system bioreactor environment, ensuring high yields and regulatory compliance. For instance, in April 2025, Belgium-based biotechnology company Cellistic launched the Echo-NK platform, an iPSC-based manufacturing solution for NK cell therapies. This platform enables scalable production of NK cells targeting blood cancers, solid tumors, and autoimmune diseases, with all key expansion steps conducted in bioreactor closed systems within Cellistic’s EMA-certified GMP facility. By incorporating Cellistic’s Pulse cell line development capabilities and proprietary STAR-CRISPR technology, the Echo-NK platform accelerates the development of stable iPSC cell lines with specific gene edits, offering a commercially viable solution for off-the-shelf NK cell therapies.

In March 2025, AstraZeneca, a British-Swedish multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology company, acquired EsoBiotec for up to \$1 billion, which includes an initial payment of \$425 million and up to \$575 million in milestone-based contingent payments. AstraZeneca intends to utilize EsoBiotec’s platform to make cell therapies more accessible, scalable, and affordable for cancer patients worldwide, marking a significant expansion in its cell therapy portfolio. EsoBiotec is a Belgian-based biotech company specializing in cell therapeutics development.

Major players in the natural killer (nk) cell therapeutics market are Sanofi S.A., Thermo Fisher Scientific, Lonza AG, Catalent, Kite Pharma, Fate Therapeutics, Artiva Biotherapeutics, Nkarta Inc, Celularity Inc., NKGen Biotech, Dragonfly Therapeutics, Cytovia Therapeutics, Glycostem Therapeutics, Gamida Cell, ONK Therapeutics, Wugen Inc., AGC Biologics, CytoImmune Therapeutics, XNK Therapeutics, Indapta Therapeutics, Neukio Biotherapeutics, Senti Biosciences, WuXi Advanced Therapies, and Kiadis Pharma.

North America was the largest region in the natural killer (NK) cell therapeutics market in 2024. Asia-Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the forecast period. The regions covered in natural killer (NK) cell therapeutics report are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East and Africa.

The countries covered in the natural killer (NK) cell therapeutics market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Canada, Italy, Spain.

Natural killer (NK) cell therapeutics are treatments that utilize or boost NK cells, a type of immune cell, to identify and eliminate cancer cells, infected cells, or other abnormal cells. These therapies encompass NK cell infusions (autologous/allogeneic), CAR-NK cells (genetically engineered to target specific proteins), and NK-targeting antibodies (bispecific antibodies).

The primary forms of NK cell therapeutics are NK cell-targeting antibodies and NK cell-based treatments. NK cell-targeting antibodies are designed to enhance NK cells' capacity to detect and destroy cancer cells by binding to tumor-specific antigens. These therapies are used in areas such as cancer, immunoproliferative disorders, gastrointestinal conditions, and more. Distribution methods include hospital pharmacies, direct tenders, and additional channels, while the main end-users are hospitals, specialty clinics, and research and academic institutions.

The natural killer (nk) cell therapeutics market research report is one of a series of new reports that provides natural killer (nk) cell therapeutics market statistics, including the natural killer (nk) cell therapeutics industry global market size, regional shares, competitors with the natural killer (nk) cell therapeutics market share, detailed natural killer (nk) cell therapeutics market segments, market trends, and opportunities, and any further data you may need to thrive in the natural killer (nk) cell therapeutics industry. This natural killer (nk) cell therapeutics market research report delivers a complete perspective of everything you need, with an in-depth analysis of the current and future scenarios of the industry.

The natural killer (NK) cell therapeutics market includes revenues earned by entities by providing services such as scell therapy development, clinical trial support, contract manufacturing, regulatory consulting, and cell line engineering. The market value includes the value of related goods sold by the service provider or included within the service offering. The natural killer (NK) cell therapeutics market also includes sales of cytokine-activated NK cells, CAR-NK cell therapies, cell expansion kits, reagents, and culture media. Values in this market are ‘factory gate’ values, that is the value of goods sold by the manufacturers or creators of the goods, whether to other entities (including downstream manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors and retailers) or directly to end customers. The value of goods in this market includes related services sold by the creators of the goods.

The market value is defined as the revenues that enterprises gain from the sale of goods and/or services within the specified market and geography through sales, grants, or donations in terms of the currency (in USD, unless otherwise specified).

The revenues for a specified geography are consumption values and are revenues generated by organizations in the specified geography within the market, irrespective of where they are produced. It does not include revenues from resales along the supply chain, either further along the supply chain or as part of other products.

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