Genetic Engineering Publications - GEG Tech top picks

The CAR T cell-based therapy Yescarta (axicabtagene ciloleucel) and manufactured by Kite Pharmaceuticals, was first approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2017 as a third-line treatment for adults with large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL), i.e., for those who had already undergone two cycles of failed treatment. The ZUMA-7 clinical trial was therefore set up to determine whether a single infusion of Yescarta is superior to the existing and long-standing standard of second-line care, which is a stem cell transplant after high-dose chemotherapy to kill the lymphoma. According to the results of a clinical trial published December 11th and presented the same day at the American Society of Hematology annual meeting, this treatment is significantly more effective than the current standard of care in treating people with large B-cell lymphoma who relapse after first-line treatment. About 40% of people with LBCL need such second-line treatment, either because their cancer recurs or does not respond adequately to first-line treatment.