FDA Accepts First Allogeneic CAR T-Cell Therapy Trial
August 4th 2018Celyad, a biopharmaceutical company that focuses on the development of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies, recently announced that the FDA has accepted its Investigational New Drug (IND) application for CYAD-101, the first non–gene-edited allogeneic clinical program.
CMS Approves Extra Payments for CAR T, Increases Other Payments in Final Rule
August 3rd 2018CMS announced a raft of final rulemaking Thursday for 2019, including ending the so-called 25% rule for long-term care hospitals, and approving add-on payments estimated to cost about $72 million for chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell immunotherapy.
Tumor-Treating Field Therapy Looks Beyond Brain Cancer
July 31st 2018Tumor-treating field therapy, which uses low-intensity electrical fields to disrupt cancer cell division and promote cell death, has gained a frontline approval in glioblastoma. Several pivotal clinical trials have been launched to determine whether the technology can help patients with other solid tumors.
Frontline Immunotherapy Poses Fresh Dilemma for Sequencing in NSCLC
July 29th 2018As the checkpoint inhibitors move into the frontline setting for patients with non–small cell lung cancer, the focus has been placed on the duration of therapy and what to do in the second-line setting following progression.
Palliative Thoracic EBRT With Concurrent Chemotherapy Is an Option for Incurable NSCLC
July 23rd 2018A review of available evidence has led the American Society for Radiation Oncology to issue a strong recommendation for use of concurrent chemotherapy with thoracic external beam radiation therapy in a subset of patients with incurable stage III non–small cell lung cancer.
First Targeted Therapy Approved for R/R AML With IDH1 Mutation
July 22nd 2018The FDA approved the first targeted therapy for adults with relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia with an IDH1 mutation. In addition, FDA also approved a companion diagnostic to be used to detect the specific mutations in the IDH1 gene.
DMD Trial Results Demonstrate Decrease in Creatine Kinase Levels
July 10th 2018Results of a Phase 1/2a gene therapy clinical trial in children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) revealed a significant decrease in levels of serum creatine kinase, an enzyme biomarker associated with muscle damage caused by DMD.
BrainChild-01 Will Evaluate CAR T Cells in Pediatric CNS Tumors
July 5th 2018The trial is designed to test chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy in children and young adults with relapsed/refractory brain and central nervous system (CNS) tumors, wherein the modified CAR T cells will be directly injected at the site of tumor resection or into the ventricular system of the CNS.
Tisagenlecleucel Nears European Approval for DLBCL, ALL
June 29th 2018The European Medicines Agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use has recommended approval of tisagenlecleucel for the treatment of either adult patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma that is relapsed or refractory after 2 or more lines of systemic therapy, or patients up to 25 years of age with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia that is refractory, in relapse posttransplant, or in second or later relapse.
AbbVie and Calibr to Collaborate on CAR T-Cell Development
June 29th 2018Drug manufacturer AbbVie, and a nonprofit drug discovery division of Scripps Research, Calibr, announced earlier this week that they are partnering to develop chimeric antigen receptor (CAR-T) cell therapies primarily aimed at treating cancer, particularly, solid tumors.
Gene Therapy in Patients with DMD Demonstrates Outstanding Preliminary Results
June 22nd 2018Positive preliminary results from the Sarepta Therapeutics, Inc phase 1/2a gene therapy clinical trial assessing AAVrh74.MHCK7.micro-Dystrophin vector in individuals with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) indicate outstanding promise.