program at Moffitt Cancer Center, in Tampa, Fla. Others, such as those in this trial, do not.
The fact that 85% responded to the CAR T-cell therapy is “impressive,” said Alsina, who was not involved in the trial.
She said it’s “somewhat disappointing” that the disease typically progressed after one year. But overall, Alsina said, the results are “exciting,” and it seems likely that the therapy will eventually be submitted for approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
An important question for the future is whether CAR T-cell therapy would be more effective if it’s begun earlier in the course of multiple myeloma, Alsina added.
The therapy carries risks. One is cytokine release syndrome — where the body produces a massive amount of inflammatory substances (cytokines) that cause
