Stephen M. Ansell, MD, PhD, on Progress of CAR T-Cell Therapy

At the 2019 ASH Annual Meeting, Stephen M. Ansell, MD, PhD, from Mayo Clinic, discussed a plenary session presentation focused on chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy, and the excitement surround new bio-specific agents that will be available for patients.

Transcription:
I think there's been a lot of really encouraging data from ASH 2019 for large cell lymphoma, particularly in the relapsed/refractory space. So, I think we're learning a lot more about CAR T cells. But I think the most interesting data was data that was in the plenary session, looking at a bio-specific antibody targeting CD 20, and CD 3. So, basically taking the tumor cell and T cells and bringing them into close proximity with a very encouraging promising response rate, a little early data, so we still need longer follow up. But I think what was interesting is in CAR T cell failures, where we really are challenged for options to treat those patients, they showed that in those patients, kind of repurposing the T cells and bringing them back into close contact with the tumor but using the bio-specific antibody actually resulted in high response rates. So, I think this is a very encouraging space to watch as new agents become available, but particularly the bio-specific therapies, there are other bio-specifics that are similar, also with very good results. So, I think as a class this is a very promising approach.