Dr. Berdeja Discusses Response to CAR T-Cell Therapy bb2121

Jesus Berdeja, MD, director of Multiple Myeloma Research, Sarah Cannon Research Institute, discusses response to the chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy bb2121 in patients with multiple myeloma.

In a study of 21 patients, bb2121 was generally well tolerated with an objective response rate of 94% and a partial response rate or better of 89%. The first dose level was therapeutic, so 3 patients had a transient response and progressed very quickly, said Berdeja. After that, all but 1 patient had a response that was durable at the 150 mg dose.

Overall response in patients treated at the therapeutic dose levels was 94% with a 56% complete response rate, and the responses continue to improve with time, Berdeja adds. The therapy is working so quickly in fact, that it is inducing a complex assessment in myeloma because the tumor cells are being killed, but then the pair of proteins that are required to become negative are lagging, Berdeja explains. Additionally, minimal residual disease negativity is being seen in patients.

The FDA granted bb2121 a breakthrough therapy designation in November of 2017, based on preliminary clinical data from the ongoing phase I CRB-401 study.