New data presented at the 64th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting showcased the potential of ciltacabtagene autoleucel (cilta-cel), a CAR T-cell therapy, in treating multiple myeloma patients who have relapsed after initial treatments. The studies, CARTITUDE-2 (NCT04133636) and CARTIFAN-1 (NCT03758417), reveal promising outcomes in both early and late-stage relapsed settings.
Cilta-cel in Early Relapsed Multiple Myeloma
According to Ying Huang, CEO of Legend Biotech, patients who relapse within 12 months of standard frontline therapy, including bone marrow transplants and standard cocktail therapies, face a grim prognosis, with a median survival of only about 26 months. The CARTITUDE-2 cohort B study (Van De Donk et al., ASH 2022, Poster #3354) focused on this high-risk population, evaluating cilta-cel as a second-line treatment. The data demonstrated clinically meaningful efficacy, offering a potential new therapeutic option for these patients with limited alternatives.
Sustained Minimal Residual Disease Negativity with Cilta-cel
Further data from the CARTITUDE-1 study (Munshi et al., ASH 2022, Poster #2030) explored the efficacy outcomes and characteristics of multiple myeloma patients who achieved sustained minimal residual disease (MRD) negativity after cilta-cel treatment. The results highlighted the potential for deep and durable responses with cilta-cel in heavily pre-treated patients, reinforcing its role in later lines of therapy.
Cilta-cel After Anti-BCMA Immunotherapy
A separate study (Cohen et al., ASH 2022, Poster #2028) assessed the efficacy and safety of cilta-cel in patients with progressive multiple myeloma after exposure to non-cellular anti-BCMA immunotherapy. The findings suggest that cilta-cel can provide clinical benefit even after failure of other BCMA-targeted approaches, expanding its potential utility in the treatment algorithm for multiple myeloma.
