From the 2018 Society of Hematologic Oncology (SOHO) in Houston, TX, Barbara Eichhorst from the University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany, discusses ongoing trials investigating CAR T-cell therapy in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Due to a defect in the patients’ T-cells, there was less success for in the beginning of CAR T-cell treatment. Recent results from trials however, show that when administering the BTK inhibitor ibrutinib beforehand, CAR T-cell retransfusion becomes more successful. Results of better tolerance of neurotoxicity and cytokine release syndrome show promising potential for CAR T-cells. Prof. Eichhorst talks about the future of treatment of CLL, highlighting the potential replacement of triple combination therapy, where a continuous treatment of obinutuzumab, ibrutinib, and venetoclax is used, with CAR T-cells therapy.
CAR-T therapy as a replacement for triple combination therapy in CLL
