COMy 2020 | The future of CAR T-cells and bispecific antibodies to treat myeloma
Sagar Lonial, MD, Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, Atlanta, GA, discusses the future of CAR T-cells and bispecific antibodies to treat myeloma. The current data is from first-generation CAR T-cells and bispecific antibodies which are used alone to treat highly refractory resistant patients. In the future, combining CAR T-cells with immunomodulatory drugs will hopefully increase the longevity of CAR T-cells and improve progression-free survival. This interview took place during the Controversies in Multiple Myeloma (COMy) 2020 Virtual World Congress.
Transcript (edited for clarity)
So I think when we talk about for instance, CAR T-cells, or bispecifics, we have to recognize that much of the data we have now is with first-generation versions of this, where we’re using them in highly refractory or resistant patients. And we’re using them alone without additional components partnered with them. I think the future is going to be combination therapy. And how do we increase the longevity of CAR T-cells so that we can move the median progression-free survival beyond 11 months and hopefully get to what they have in lymphoma and ALL, which are cures in a significant fraction of patients that will likely require combination or second or third-generation CAR T-cells...
So I think when we talk about for instance, CAR T-cells, or bispecifics, we have to recognize that much of the data we have now is with first-generation versions of this, where we’re using them in highly refractory or resistant patients. And we’re using them alone without additional components partnered with them. I think the future is going to be combination therapy. And how do we increase the longevity of CAR T-cells so that we can move the median progression-free survival beyond 11 months and hopefully get to what they have in lymphoma and ALL, which are cures in a significant fraction of patients that will likely require combination or second or third-generation CAR T-cells. And then how do we take those bites and bispecifics and make them better? And in my view, that’s probably partnering with drugs like the immunomodulatory agents, whether they’re lenalidomide or pomalidomide or iberdomide or CC-92480. Those are going to make great partners for those classes of drugs as well, and that’s the future.
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Disclosures
Advisory board: Celgene, Takeda, Janssen, Novartis, Bristol-Myers Squibb, GlaxoSmithKline, Abbvie, Kayropharm
Research support: Celgene, BMS, Janssen, Takeda
Member of the board of directors TG therapeutics
