Dr. Kansagra on Expanding Role of CAR T-Cell Therapy in Lymphoma and Multiple Myeloma

Ankit Kansagra, MD, assistant professor, Department of Internal Medicine, Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, UT Southwestern Medical Center, discusses the expanding role of CAR T-cell therapy in lymphoma and multiple myeloma.

The utility of CAR T-cell therapy is rapidly growing in oncology, explains Kansagra. In October 2017, the FDA approved axicabtagene ciloleucel (axi-cel; Yescarta) for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed/refractory large B-cell lymphoma following ≥2 lines of systemic therapy. Additionally, in May 2018, the FDA approved tisagenlecleucel (Kymriah) for use in the same indication.

Ongoing clinical trials are investigating the efficacy of moving CAR T-cell therapy into earlier lines of treatment in B-cell lymphomas, says Kansagra.

Data from the 2019 ASH Annual Meeting continue to show unprecedented efficacy with CAR T cells in the treatment of patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma.

Collaborating with CAR T-cell therapy experts, as well as increasing the number of institutions that are certified to treat with immune-based therapies may increase patient access to these treatment modalities, concludes Kansagra.