Latest news with #cancer_treatment
The Independent
a day ago
- Health
- The Independent
Innovative treatment effective in patients with certain tumours, study suggests
An innovative treatment that reprogrammes immune cells to recognise and kill cancer has been shown to be effective on patients with certain tumours in a pioneering trial. CAR T-cell therapy is usually used to treat some types of blood cancer. It involves genetically modifying a patient's T cells – a type of white blood cell – in a lab, before returning them to the bloodstream. A new first of its kind trial explored the use of the treatment in patients with advanced stomach cancer and gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) cancer, which develops at the point where the oesophagus meets the stomach. The phase two study, led by researchers in China, included people diagnosed with advanced stomach or GEJ cancer which had not responded to two previous lines of treatment. Some 104 patients were earmarked for CAR T-cell therapy while 52 were given standard care, which included a selection of drugs chosen by their doctor. Those who had CAR T-cell therapy lived an average for 7.9 months, compared to 5.5 months with standard care. Patients who received the treatment also spent 3.3 months without their cancer progressing compared to 1.8 months in the standard group. Researchers said that the study is the 'first randomised controlled trial of CAR T-cell therapy in solid tumours globally' and shows the treatment 'resulted in a significant improvement in progression-free survival, with a manageable safety profile'. They added that the findings, published in the Lancet and presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting in Chicago, support CAR T-cell therapy 'as a new third-line treatment' for patients with advanced stomach and GEJ cancer.
National Post
3 days ago
- Business
- National Post
CAR T Vision Coalition Launches with Ambitious Goal to Double Patients Treated with the Curative Potential of CAR T-cell Therapy by 2030
Article content CHICAGO — Today an international coalition announces the launch of CAR T Vision to unite stakeholders around the shared ambition that every eligible patient should have the opportunity for cure with CAR T-cell therapy. By 2030, the aim is to double the proportion of eligible patients treated with CAR T-cell therapy. As outlined in the new roadmap report, the coalition will work to address access challenges and drive meaningful change in the CAR T-cell therapy healthcare ecosystem with a focus on three critical priorities: increasing awareness and understanding of CAR T-cell therapy; expanding resources and capacity to deliver CAR T-cell therapy; and developing sustainable and innovative financing approaches to manage the costs of treatment and care. Article content 'Despite CAR T-cell therapy being available in the United States for nearly seven years in large B-cell lymphoma, only approximately two out of 10 eligible patients with some advanced blood cancers ever receive CAR T-cell therapy,' said Miguel Perales, MD, Chief, Adult Bone Marrow Transplantation Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK); Past President, American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy (ASTCT); and Co-Chair, CAR T Vision Steering Committee. 'When it comes to treating these potentially deadly cancers, every minute counts. That is why we established CAR T Vision with recommendations for interventions that, when adopted and scaled, will help many more eligible patients get the opportunity for cure within the next five years.' Article content The roadmap report, developed by an independent Steering Committee comprised of leadership from top North American and European patient advocacy groups, medical society organizations, academic and community treatment centers, health technology assessment, policy, and other subject matter experts, provides the foundations for advocacy and action by local stakeholders to address the specific access challenges patients face in different geographies. Building on the report, expert Working Groups will be established to translate the Vision into concrete, measurable actions, including specific recommendations and a measurement framework to track progress. Article content 'Limited awareness of CAR T-cell therapy, low referrals, hospital capacity challenges, and funding and reimbursement are among the barriers that either prevent people from accessing CAR T-cell therapy altogether or cause delays that advance a patient's cancer beyond the point of treatment eligibility. In short, these barriers cost lives,' said Anna Sureda, MD, PhD, Clinical Hematologist, Professor and Cell Therapy Researcher; and Co-Chair, CAR T Vision Steering Committee. 'We call on every stakeholder and organization with the ability to help shape better patient outcomes—policymakers, health system leaders, payors, healthcare providers, patient advocates, and industry—to join the growing coalition of Vision endorsers and help ensure every eligible patient has the opportunity for cure with CAR T-cell therapy.' Article content Making CAR T Vision a reality will require the coming together of a complex ecosystem of partners, each with their own unique role to play. To learn more about CAR T Vision, review the roadmap report and join the coalition, visit Article content CAR T-cell therapy involves engineering a person's own immune cells to target and treat cancer and is currently approved for certain types of aggressive blood cancers, enabling some patients to remain cancer free for more than five years. 4,5,6,7 Article content The CAR T Vision is for every eligible patient to have the opportunity for cure with CAR T-cell therapy. By 2030, the aim is to double the proportion of eligible patients treated with CAR T-cell therapy. The CAR T Vision Steering Committee includes leadership from top North American and European patient advocacy groups, medical society organizations, academic and community treatment centers, health technology assessment, policy, and other subject matter experts. The new roadmap report details the challenges CAR T Vision aims to resolve through multidisciplinary collaboration and the urgent actions needed to make the Vision a reality. The report and initial activities of the CAR T Vision Steering Committee have been funded by Gilead Sciences and Kite, as the inaugural supporter of CAR T Vision. Report content has been reviewed by Gilead Sciences and Kite. However, the Steering Committee has editorial control of the CAR T Vision and its outputs, including the report. Dr. Perales has financial interests related to Gilead Sciences and Kite. To learn more about CAR T Vision, review the report and join the growing coalition of endorsers, visit Article content 2 Chuhara, D, Liao, L, et al. Real-world experience of CAR T-cell therapy in older patients with relapsed/refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Blood. 2023, September 21. Article content 3 Canales Albendea MÁ, Canonico PL, Cartron G, et al. Comparative analysis of CAR T-cell therapy access for DLBCL patients: associated challenges and solutions in the four largest EU countries. Front Med (Lausanne). 2023;10:1128295. Published 2023 May 30. doi:10.3389/fmed.2023.1128295 Article content 4 Abramson J, Palomba ML, Gordon LI, et al. Five-Year Survival of Patients (pts) from Transcend NHL 001 (TRANSCEND) Supports Curative Potential of Lisocabtagene Maraleucel (liso-cel) in Relapsed or Refractory (R/R) Large B-Cell Lymphoma (LBCL). Blood. 2024;144(1):3125. Article content 5 Neelapu SS, Jacobson CA, Ghobadi A, et al. Five-year follow-up of ZUMA-1 supports the curative potential of axicabtagene ciloleucel in refractory large B-cell lymphoma. Blood. 2023 May 11;141(19):2307-2315. doi: 10.1182/blood.2022018893. PMID: 36821768; PMCID: PMC10646788. Article content 6 Rives S, Maude S, Hiramatsu H et al. S112: TISAGENLECLEUCEL IN PEDIATRIC AND YOUNG ADULT PATIENTS (PTS) WITH RELAPSED/REFRACTORY (R/R) B-CELL ACUTE LYMPHOBLASTIC LEUKEMIA (B-ALL): FINAL ANALYSES FROM THE ELIANA STUDY. HemaSphere 6():p 13-14, June 2022. | DOI: 10.1097/ Article content Article content Article content Article content Article content Article content
Khaleej Times
21-05-2025
- Health
- Khaleej Times
UAE: Cancer treatment without hair loss? First local CAR-T therapy hopes to expand globally
A new homegrown cancer therapy facility in Abu Dhabi could soon be providing life-saving treatment not just to UAE patients, but across the world, as Burjeel Medical City prepares to launch production of CAR T-cell therapy – one of the most advanced and personalised cancer treatments – globally. The UAE's first facility to manufacture CAR T-cells locally is expected to begin treating patients before the end of this year, Dr Ajlan Al Zaki, director of the Burjeel Hematology Oncology & Cellular Therapy Center, said. 'What we are building can manufacture up to 200 samples at one time,' he said. 'Now, not all 200 patients can receive treatment simultaneously, so we'd have to build and scale it gradually.' While previous reports have highlighted the centre's ambitious aim to cut costs by up to 90 per cent, Dr Al Zaki says the story is much bigger. 'My mission and Burjeel's mission would be to expand access to those developing countries that need these therapies but can't afford it,' he said. 'If we can achieve that, that would be a dream come true.' From Texas labs to UAE clinics Dr Al Zaki, an Emirati physician-scientist with experience in cellular therapies, returned to the UAE in March after years at MD Anderson Cancer Centre in the US, where he treated patients and manufactured CAR T-cells in the lab. Just weeks after his return, Burjeel announced plans to begin local production of the therapy. 'We announced on April 18, and the facility should be ready in four to six months,' he told Khaleej Times, adding that the target is ambitious but achievable. 'I think we have some very good people who can help facilitate that.' CAR T-cell therapy, short for Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell therapy, involves extracting a patient's own immune cells, reprogramming them to recognise and destroy cancer cells, and re-infusing them into the body. It's been approved for use in the US since 2017, primarily for blood cancers like leukaemia and lymphoma. Unlike conventional chemotherapy, which targets both healthy and cancerous cells, CAR T is designed to precisely identify cancer cells based on specific markers. 'You're using your own immune amplified,' Dr Al Zaki explained. 'It's programmed and modified to target a specific marker while minimising damage to normal cells.' For Dr Al Zaki, CAR-T's ability to avoid the most difficult side effects of chemotherapy — such as hair loss, nausea, and immune suppression - was one of the factors that first drew him to this field. 'It's a huge difference for patients,' he said. 'Many people who have gone through chemo would not want to go through it again.' He added that seeing firsthand how transformative these therapies were for patients with no other options is what led him to specialise in cellular therapy. 'I wanted to be involved in something that is truly game-changing,' he said. A new model of affordability The cost of CAR T-cell therapy in the United States can exceed $1 million per patient when factoring in manufacturing, hospitalisation, and travel. Burjeel's model, by contrast, aims to produce the therapy at a fraction of the price. 'The reality is, most of the cost in CAR-T comes from proprietary manufacturing methods that are commercially driven,' said Dr. Al Zaki. 'But when you partner with nonprofits like Caring Cross and adopt open-access technology, you remove those layers of profit and bring costs down.' He said the approach is not simply about cutting costs arbitrarily, but about rethinking the way these therapies are manufactured and delivered. The aim is to preserve quality, safety, and effectiveness while removing financial barriers. By localising production and eliminating overseas logistics, Burjeel is hoping to reduce treatment costs by up to 90 per cent. 'And once that infrastructure is in place, we can start offering these therapies to patients in the region and beyond,' he said. Reaching Gulf and Global South At a time when only a few countries in the Gulf offer CAR-T treatment, the Burjeel initiative aims to provide the therapy without requiring patients to travel abroad. 'If patients get treated here, that can significantly reduce the cost,' said Dr Al Zaki, noting that some patients currently pay over $1 million for treatment in the US, excluding hospitalisation and travel. But the long-term ambition goes beyond national borders. 'Therapies like this should be offered to everybody who needs it,' he said. 'Many countries can't afford it, and that needs to change.' Burjeel's partnership with the US-based nonprofit Caring Cross will also allow it to use manufacturing technology at cost, avoiding the price tags of commercial pharmaceutical providers. He added one of the CAR-T cell products in development could potentially treat both lymphoma and leukaemia using three different markers. 'If we use three different targets, we can treat cancer better and prevent resistance,' he explained. Future plans for new treatment options The first wave of treatment at Burjeel will focus on diffusing large B-cell lymphoma and B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. However, future plans include tackling multiple myeloma and exploring use in brain cancers. Dr Al Zaki said early studies in this field appear promising and could open the door to new treatment options for patients with brain tumours. Surprisingly, the therapy might also have potential beyond oncology. 'Yes, there is a chance it can treat HIV,' he confirmed, adding that the centre would rely on future clinical trials to validate such uses. While he currently leads the effort solo, Dr Al Zaki hopes to see more Emirati doctors pursue this emerging and impactful field. He emphasised that building local expertise will be crucial to long-term success. 'We can't do this alone,' he concluded.
