What if myeloma returns after CAR T-cell therapy? Dr. Doris Hansen reviews additional options for patients, including repeat CAR-T treatments, bispecific and trispecific immunotherapies, and other emerging drugs in clinical trials. Dr. Hansen highlights how new treatments are helping patients live full lives while researchers continue working toward a cure.
Dr. Doris Hansen is an Assistant Member in the Department of Blood and Marrow Transplant and Cellular Immunotherapy at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, FL. Learn more about Dr. Hansen.
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Transcript
Katherine Banwell:
Rachel sent in this question. “While CAR T can be a good option for treating my myeloma, I know it may not be a cure. What are my options if the disease returns?”
Dr. Doris Hansen:
That’s a great question, actually. As you mentioned, CAR T is a great treatment. We are not necessarily at a cure quite yet, but as I noted, we have a lot of ongoing clinical trials.
Just because somebody has had one CAR T, that doesn’t mean that you cannot have another CAR T down the road. As I mentioned, we have dual CAR Ts. We have CAR Ts targeting a different area on the myeloma protein. So, certainly, having another CAR T is an option on clinical trial.
But then, we also have other immunotherapies. As I noted, we have bispecific therapies, which are ready. Treatments you don’t have to wait for T-cell manufacturing. There are four of them that are currently FDA-approved, and we have several in development and we also have what’s called a trispecific, where you continue to essentially target more molecules or proteins on the myeloma cells. And that’s certainly something very promising that’s coming down the pipeline, in addition to other novel agents. Something like CELMoDs, and other drugs. But there is a lot more than we can do, even if the myeloma might relapse after CAR T, including a repeat CAR T on clinical trial, among other options.
Katherine Banwell:
Dr. Hansen, what would you like to leave the audience with? Why are you hopeful?
Dr. Doris Hansen:
Well, I treat myeloma, and we know myeloma is an incurable disease. But what makes me, every day, happy to come to work, is that I’m able to care for my patients, and we have so many innovative and novel clinical trials. And now, in myeloma our field, has definitely changed. We’re giving patients immunotherapies earlier in the treatment course. We’re able to get our patients off of treatment for many years, so they can live their lives, and be with their family, and work and enjoy what they like to do.
And I’m very hopeful that, in the near future, with all that is available, and with all the wonderful science that is ongoing, that we will hopefully forge our path towards a cure for our patients.