CAR-T Meeting 2023 | Factors influencing patient selection for CAR-T therapy & ongoing challenges in this space
Jürgen Kuball, MD, PhD, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands, highlights factors influencing patient selection for CAR-T therapy and challenges in this space, including the financial burden of CAR-T cells and the need to better connect treating physicians with each other to discuss treatment options for patients. This interview took place at the EBMT-EHA 5th European CAR T-cell Meeting held in Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
These works are owned by Magdalen Medical Publishing (MMP) and are protected by copyright laws and treaties around the world. All rights are reserved.
Transcript (edited for clarity)
That’s a very difficult one. Also, we have, unfortunately, a high heterogeneity in countries, so it’s also just simply diversified in terms of what a healthcare system can afford. I think this is one of the first major challenges we have to address in Europe. The second challenge is that we have peripheral doctors who maybe are not aware at the moment of the treatments, or do not know exactly when to place the treatment...
That’s a very difficult one. Also, we have, unfortunately, a high heterogeneity in countries, so it’s also just simply diversified in terms of what a healthcare system can afford. I think this is one of the first major challenges we have to address in Europe. The second challenge is that we have peripheral doctors who maybe are not aware at the moment of the treatments, or do not know exactly when to place the treatment. So this is an important role of EHA also, to connect us to doctors who are not prescribing CAR-Ts, but sending that in early time point.
And then last but not least is, of course, a lot of research ongoing, whether we use CAR-Ts as a pre-transplant or post-transplant therapy, and what are factors of patients to select? But that’s the last one. But I think the biggest win we can really make is really by making CAR-T affordable also in other countries, and asking patients and doctors to come early to our centers.
Read more...
Disclosures
Dr. Kuball reports grants from Gadeta, Novartis, and Miltenyi Biotech, and is the inventor on patents dealing with γδT cell-related aspects, as well as the co-founder and shareholder of Gadeta.
