EHA joins EBMT in a newly founded GoCART coalition aimed at positioning Europe in the lead of the global cellular therapy field for hematological diseases. GoCART aims to promote patient access to novel cellular therapies and to contribute health and well-being through innovation by multi-stakeholder collaboration.

Research on chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies has exploded since the first such treatment received approval in 2017. Hundreds of trials are under way, 3 therapies for hematologic malignancies are on the market, and 2 new products may receive FDA approval in the next several months, including a BCMA–directed therapy that is poised to help transform treatment of multiple myeloma (MM).

Nirav N. Shah, MD, an associate professor at the Medical College of Wisconsin, discusses bispecific anti-CD20 and anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells in a phase 1 dose escalation and expansion trial (NCT03019055) for relapsed B cell malignancies.

The treatment landscape of relapsed/ refractory multiple myeloma has undergone rapid changes over the past 2 decades, with over a dozen drug approvals by the FDA.

In an interview with Targeted Oncology, Caron Jacobson, MD, discussed the data supporting use of CAR T-cell therapy as treatment of patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and some of the remaining questions in this space that need to be addressed as these cellular therapies advanced forward in the field.

The CRS in CAR-T module, part of the 8-course EHA Campus program dedicated to CAR-T cells, is now freely accessible by everyone - even non-EHA members. The course covers all aspects of Cytokine Release Syndrome (CRS), from pathophysiology to appropriate management. As this main complication of CAR-T cell therapy requires a multidisciplinary approach (including non-hematologists like intensivists, cardiologists, and neurologists whose educational needs are addressed in this course), EHA has made this module accessible by everyone.

Loretta J. Nastoupil, MD, an assistant professor in the Department of Lymphoma/Myeloma at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses the use of off-the-shelf chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell products for the treatment of patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and other cancers.

At the 2020 CRI Virtual Immunotherapy Patient Summit, three CRI ImmunoAdvocates— cancer veterans treated with immunotherapy —share their experiences with cancer, immunotherapy, health care, and support.

CAR T-cell therapy is poised to transform the treatment paradigm of relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma now that multiple products are exhibiting high and complete response (CR) rates, said Faiz Anwer, MD, who added that further research may improve safety, prolong responses, and provide insight into resistance mechanisms.

Immunotherapy is transforming treatment for many cancers and shows incredible promise for the future of all cancer care. But what is immunotherapy, and how does it work?