Yael Cohen, MD, on Entering an Era of CAR T-Cell Therapy for Myeloma

In an interview with CancerNetwork®, Yael Cohen, MD, a senior physician in the Department of Hematology at Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, discussed how findings from the phase 2 CARTITUDE-2 trial (NCT04133636), examining ciltacabtagene autoleucel (cilta-cel) in lenalidomide (Revlimid)–refractory multiple myeloma, may be indicative of the space entering an era of CAR T-cell therapies.

Transcript:

We are on the verge of a new era for myeloma because [cilta-cel] is a very potent therapy. Certainly, we will have to learn how to use it and for which patients. There are challenges with CAR T therapy, [logistically and] it's also a very expensive therapy; thought would have to be given to this, as well. Our hope is that treating patients earlier in their disease course, perhaps when their T cells are less exhausted and their disease might be not as anaplastic, that we will [provide] cure for some of the patients. [It's] early in the game, but certainly [with] the very deep responses and [minimal residual disease] negativity, perhaps for some patients, we will get there.

Reference

Cohen YC, Cohen AD, Delforge M, et al. Efficacy and safety of ciltacabtagene autoleucel (cilta-cel), a B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA)-directed chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy, in lenalidomide-refractory patients with progressive multiple myeloma after 1-3 prior lines of therapy: updated results from CARTITUDE-2. Presented at: 2021 ASH Annual Meeting; December 11-13, 2021; Atlanta, GA. Poster 3866.