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VIDEO: CAR T cell therapy durable, effective for treatment of acute, chronic lymphoblastic leukemia
The use of genetically modified T cells expressing a CD19–specific chimeric antigen receptor has proven to be an effective approach in the treatment of patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, chronic lymphocytic leukemia and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, according to Jonathan Serody, MD, associate director of translational research at the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.
In this video, Serody discusses how recent studies have demonstrated that the use of CD19 CAR T cells improved disease-free survival in half the children and adults treated for ALL after a follow-up of 4 years.
Serody also mentions studies have demonstrated 40% to 60% of individuals with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and CLL are disease free with median follow-ups of approximately 12 to 18 months after treatment.
He said within the next year to 18 months, several pharmaceutical companies could register CD19 as an FDA-approved therapy that will increase effectiveness for patients with CLL and B-cell non-Hodgkin’s leukemia.
“Currently Novartis – which is the lead company in doing this – is undergoing an expanded access program to try to generate cell products in patients with these diseases and once that process occurs and the trials are completed, we anticipate that the FDA will grant approval for this therapy probably [between] early to late 2017,” he told HemOnc Today.