AsianScientist (Jul. 5, 2019) – Results of a clinical trial by Innovent Biologics, Inc. suggest that chimeric receptor antigen T-cells (CAR-T) could be effective against aggressive blood cancers. These findings were presented at the 24th Congress of the European Hematological Society and the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting 2019 in Chicago, Illinois.
Multiple myeloma is a malignant hematologic cancer caused by the abnormal proliferation of clonal plasma cells. In many countries, myeloma is the second most common blood cancer. The American Cancer Society estimates that about 32,110 new cases will be diagnosed this year in the US alone. In Europe, more than 48,200 people were diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2018. Among them, 40 percent of patients are diagnosed with moderate or high-risk multiple myeloma with a median survival of less than five years.
CT103A is an anti-BCMA CAR-T co-developed by Innovent and IASO BIO for the treatment of relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM). The data of CT103A presented at both conferences showed positive efficacy results, persistence and safety profile and an objective response rate of 100 percent. The results are especially encouraging for patients who relapsed from a prior CAR-T treatment with mouse-based antibody, thus providing a viable option for this group of tough-to-treat patients.
“RRMM is associated with a poor prognosis,” said Dr. Li Chunrui of Huazhong University of Science and Technology. “Many patients who receive CAR-T treatments have had their disease recurrence, and with a non-human scFv, re-treatment may not be an option due to immunogenicity. With a fully-human BCMA scFv, CT103A provides an effective option for these patients. This data suggests they should not be excluded from the benefit of future trials.”
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Source: Innovent Biologics; Photo: Shutterstock.
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