Dr. Grunwald on the Efficacy of 19-28z CAR T-Cell Therapy in B-ALL

Michael R. Grunwald, MD, FACP, clinical assistant professor of medicine, University of North Carolina, hematologist/oncologist, Levine Cancer Institute, Atrium Health, discusses the efficacy of 19-28z CAR T-cell therapy in B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL).

Long-term follow-up results of a phase 1 trial (NCT01044069) demonstrated a median overall survival of 12.9 months with 19-28z CAR T-cell therapy in adult patients with relapsed/refractory B-ALL, says Grunwald.

Overall, 53 patients with heavily pretreated disease received the 19-28z CAR T-cell therapy. Nineteen of these patients (36%) had undergone prior allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant and 13 (25%) received prior blinatumomab (Blincyto), Grunwald explains. Patients were a median of 44 years old (range, 23-74), adds Grunwald.

Regarding efficacy, 83% of patients achieved a complete remission with 19-28z CAR T-cell therapy, says Grunwald. Some modifications were made during the study treatment with the goal of reducing CAR T-cell therapy–related toxicities, such as cytokine release syndrome, Grunwald says. Fractionating the doses of cells may reduce the rate of toxicity in adults; however, the promising efficacy signal suggests that this therapy should be evaluated further in patients with relapsed/refractory B-ALL, concludes Grunwald.