Dr. Wang on the Utility of CAR T-Cell Therapy in Relapsed/Refractory MCL

Michael Wang, MD, professor in the Department of Lymphoma and Myeloma at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses the utility of CAR T-cell therapy in relapsed/refractory mantle cell lymphoma (MCL).

A fraction of MCL is particularly aggressive, says Wang; the disease can progress through multiple lines of chemotherapy and targeted therapies.

CAR T-cell therapy offers an alternate way to treat MCL, explains Wang. T cells are obtained from the patients and are then examined in the lab. A gene transfer is performed, the T cells are put into a product, and then they are put back into the patient. The T cells identify the lymphoma cells, bind to them, and cure them, explains Wang.

Many studies have demonstrated that his approach is very effective, even those done in more aggressive cancers such as acute lymphoblastic leukemia and large cell lymphoma, says Wang.

One such product that is showing promise in this space is KTE-X19. In February 2020, a biologics license application for the agent was granted a priority review designation by the FDA for the treatment of patients with relapsed/refractory MCL based on positive findings from the phase 2 ZUMA-2 trial. Results showed that a single infusion of KTE-X19 elicited a 93% objective response rate and a 67% complete response rate in this patient population.