Search Results
FDA Approves First CAR T-Immunotherapy for Relapsed/Refractory Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently announced approval of brexucabtagene autoleucel (Tecartus®) as the first and only CAR T-cell treatment for adults with relapsed or refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Roughly half of all ALL cases occur in adults, and unlike pediatric ALL, adults have historically had a poor prognosis. This approval, which follows an FDA Breakthrough Therapy Designation and priority review, is a meaningful advance for these patients.
What Is Blood Cancer?
Reviewed by Gwen Nichols, MD, EVP and Chief Medical Officer at The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
Belantamab mafodotin-blmf
Belantamab mafodotin-blmf is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma who have received at least 4 prior therapies including an anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody, a proteasome inhibitor, and an immunomodulatory agent.
This indication is approved under accelerated approval based on response rate. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in confirmatory trial(s).
The Fruits of Our Funding
Advances in cancer research seem to be occurring at dizzying speed these days.
Targeting GCK as a novel and selective therapeutic strategy against RAS mutated Multiple Myeloma
RAS/MAPK mutations are the key drivers in MM, which occurs in 50% of newly diagnosed and higher in relapsed MM patients. However, RAS remains undruggable in MM. We found that RAS mutation MM growth is highly dependent on germinal center kinase(GCK). The goal of this project is to develop small molecule inhibitors against GCK with the expected outcome to provide novel treatments for relapsed/refractory and especially multi-drug resistant MM with RAS mutation, as well as other B-cell malignancies.Idecabtagene vicleucel
Idecabtagene vicleuce is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma after two or more prior lines of therapy, including an immunomodulatory agent, a proteasome inhibitor, and an anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody.
How Surviving Cancer Gave me a Second Birthday
Birthdays are a time for celebration as we become one year older, wiser, and more mature. For cancer survivors, we carry with us another date that symbolizes even more. This is our second birthday. Similar to an actual birthday, this day often carries feelings of even more nostalgia and remembrance. However, it can also grip us with feelings of dread, anxiety, and even post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). No matter how far along we are in our journey through survivorship, our second birthday pulls at us to stop and compassionately remember all that we’ve been through.
Advances in Cancer Research and Treatment in 2020
Progress in new cancer treatments is accelerating so rapidly that the standard of care for many cancer patients is changing right before our very eyes.
Since 2017, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a remarkable 53 therapies just to treat patients with blood cancers, and The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) has helped advance 46 of these treatments.
I have no reason to believe the next few years won’t be as productive and groundbreaking as the last few. With that, here are some of my predictions for 2020:
Meet the Researcher: Charlene Liao, PhD
Our “Meet the Researcher” series on The LLS Blog shares what our outstanding LLS-funded researchers are working on, the incredible impact they’re making in the fight against blood cancers, and what inspires their efforts to find better treatments and cures.
Improving targeted adoptive cell therapy of myeloma
Dr. Madhav Dhodapkar, M.D., of Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, Atlanta, leads a multi-institutional, multi-disciplinary LLS Specialized Center of Research team focused on advancing new immunotherapies for patients with multiple myeloma. Their goal is to improve the effectiveness of CAR T-cell immunotherapy, which engineers the patient’s T cells to find and kill cancer cells. The CAR-T they are studying targets a protein called BCMA found on the surface of all myeloma cells.
Where Blood Cancer Meets Nature: Why This Scholarship Recipient Is Saving the Earth
When we think about the future, a lot can feel uncertain—especially as a teenager or young adult (AYA) with blood cancer.
We get it.
Daratumumab and hyaluronidase-fihj
Generic name Daratumumab and hyaluronidase-fihj Brand name(s), other common name(s) Darzalex FasproTM Drug type Monoclonal antibody How the drug is given Injection, for subcutaneous use Indications and UsageDarzalex FasproTM is a combination of daratumumab, a CD38-directed cytolytic antibody, and hyaluronidase, an endoglycosidase, and is FDA approved for the treatment of adult patients with multiple myeloma:
