Earlier this year, Caron Jacobson, MD, presented the interim analysis of ZUMA-5: A phase 2 study of axicabtagene ciloleucel in patients with relapsed/refractory indolent non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Results from that interim analysis showed that the vast majority of patients with follicular lymphoma or marginal zone lymphoma – two slow-growing forms of non-Hodgkin lymphoma – responded to and benefited from a novel CAR T-cell therapy in a recent clinical trial. Dr. Jacobson will present updated data at the ASH 2020 Annual Meeting (Abstract 700).

The 140 participants (124 with follicular lymphoma, 16 with marginal zone lymphoma) in the ZUMA-5 trial had received a median of three treatments for their disease prior to treatment with axicabtagene ciloleucel, a CAR T-cell therapy that targets CD19 receptors on cancerous cells. Ninety-three percent of the patients showed a response to the therapy, including 80% who had a complete response – an absence of detectable cancer following treatment. In patients with an initial complete response, 80% maintained that response after a median follow-up of 15.3 months.

The most common adverse effects of the therapy were neutropenia, anemia, and decreased neutrophil count, which generally were manageable. The rate of high-grade neurotoxicity was 15%. Among patients with follicular lymphoma, 23% had no cytokine release syndrome, and the median time to onset was four days, which may allow for outpatient dosing in the future.

To learn more, tune in to Dr. Jacobson’s oral presentation on Monday, December 7 at 10:30 a.m. EST / 1:30 p.m. PST, where she will provide the updated, primary analysis. Her presentation will be on channel 7 of the virtual ASH Annual Meeting.