One patient saw a complete response, and the therapy was well tolerated, especially compared with the adverse effects sometimes seen with chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell treatment in blood cancers thus far.
In data presented at a meeting in Boston, Massachusetts, the biotechnology company Eureka Therapeutics has reported that 3 of 6 patients with liver cancer responded to its chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy, marking one of the first times that this type of treatment has succeeded in patients with solid tumors.
The statement on the proof-of-concept study of the ET140202 T-cell therapy occurred in alpha fetoprotein (AFP)—positive patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, a common form of liver cancer. The results were presented at the CAR-TCR Summit based on work being done at Xi’An Jiaotong University in China. What’s more, the 6 patients showed no observed signs of cytokine release syndrome or drug-related neurotoxicity, and 1 patient, a 52-year-old man, had a complete response. The most common side effects were fever and fatigue.
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At the data cut-off in July 2018, results involving 6 patients with pre-existing cirrhosis who have previously failed multiple lines of therapy showed the following:
“Hepatocellular carcinoma is a cancer where we have had great difficulties finding effective treatments. This study shows early but important data in the possibility of targeting solid tumors using T-cell therapy,” Yuman Fong, MD, professor of the Department of Surgery at City of Hope National Medical Center in Duarte, California, said in a statement.
The proof-of-concept study shows the potential viability of repeat dosing, combination therapy, and a higher dosing level, he said.
Donovan Decker’s Journey in Gene Therapy and Advocacy for LGMD—Breaking Barriers
March 24th 2025Donovan Decker, recipient of the 2025 MDA Legacy Award for Community Impact and Research, discussed his powerful journey as a patient advocate and gene therapy pioneer, shedding light on challenges and progress in LGMD.