Haematology 2018

Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cells for Sustained Remissions in Leukemia Shannon L. Maude et al NEJM . 2014 ; 371(16): 1507–151

• Sustained remission was achieved with a 6-month EFS of 67% and an overall survival rate of 78%. • At 6 months, – probability of persistence of CTL019 was 68% – probability that a patient would have relapse-free B-cell aplasia was 73%. • All the patients had the cytokine-release syndrome, Severe cytokine-release syndrome developed in 27% of the patients, (associated with a higher disease burden before infusion and was effectively treated with the anti–interleukin-6 receptor antibody tocilizumab.) • Chimeric antigen receptor–modified T-cell therapy against CD19 was effective in treating relapsed and refractory ALL. CTL019 was associated with a high remission rate, even among patients for whom stem-cell transplantation had failed, and durable remissions up to 24 months were observed