Novartis Pauses 8 Autoimmune CAR-T Trials After 3 Patients Die From Rare Immune Complication
Novartis has paused eight trials of its experimental CAR-T therapy rap-cel after three patients died following a rare and serious immune complication known as IEC-HS.
The trials involve the use of CAR-T therapy in autoimmune and neurological diseases. Studies of rap-cel in cancer are continuing.
As CAR-T research moves beyond cancer, the safety risks can become an important part of the conversation.
What do you think?
• What are the biggest challenges in using CAR-T therapy for autoimmune diseases?
• How should researchers weigh potential benefits against serious risks in early-stage trials?
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What are your thoughts on the future of CAR-T therapy in autoimmune diseases?
There will always be a risk in early stages of clinical trials. Pre-clinical trial on animals like rats and primates do not accurately predict how human body will respond.
I believe CAR-T still has a promising future; early phases of trials must be monitored carefully and long-term follow up of trails is must, but patient safety is much priority than any innovation.
The bigger question is why some patients develop severe inflammatory complications while others don’t. Patient and disease specific factors could be important here, and identifying these risk factors could be key to making CAR-T safer.
A CAR-T trial is a clinical trial that tests CAR-T cell therapy, a type of cancer treatment that uses a patient’s own T cells. These cells are genetically modified in the lab to recognise and attack specific cancer cells, then given back to the patient. The trial evaluates things like the treatment’s safety, effectiveness, and possible side effects.
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