Johnson & Johnson (J&J) has released preliminary data from a phase 1b trial of its dual-targeting blood cancer CAR-T program, which showed promising results and a reduced risk of severe side effects. The company tested the treatment in patients with relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma, a type of aggressive cancer.
In the trial, 22 patients received the recommended dose of the CAR-T therapy, resulting in an objective response rate (ORR) of 100% for those who had previously received only one line of treatment. The ORR was 92% and complete response rate was 75% for patients with two or more previous therapies.
While there were no cases of severe cytokine release syndrome, a potentially life-threatening condition associated with CAR-T therapy, some patients experienced side effects, including grade 3 or 4 immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS). However, the company reported that only one patient was affected by this condition.
The phase 1b trial’s primary endpoints were the occurrence of adverse events and determining the recommended dose. J&J has announced a recommended dose of 75 million CAR T-cells, which is lower than some competing therapies.
Johnson & Johnson’s CAR-T program uses two cell surface proteins commonly expressed by cancerous B cells: CD19 and CD20. The company believes that this dual-targeting approach may offer improved treatment options for patients with this type of lymphoma.
The data presents a step forward in delivering potential new treatment options to patients living with aggressive lymphoma. According to Dr. Krish Patel, director of lymphoma research at Sarah Cannon Research Institute, the results are “encouraging” and show promising safety.
Source: https://www.fiercebiotech.com/biotech/jj-hails-safety-100-objective-response-rate-10-patients-lymphoma-car-t