ZUMA-3 Trial of CAR T Results in Impressive Efficacy for Patients With ALL

Bijal Shah, MD, MS, an associate member in the Department of Malignant Hematology at Moffitt Cancer Center, discusses the results of treatment with the chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy brexucabtagne autoleucel (Tecartus) in the ZUMA-3 trial (NCT02614066) in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).

Shah hopes that he and his fellow investigators have done enough to show the FDA that this treatment is safe option to treat patients with ALL. Patients in the ZUMA-3 trial had a 71% complete remission (CR) rate with CAR T-cell therapy, which Shah says is unheard of in this population. These patients had progressed on previous therapies or after transplant. Patients achieved deep remissions and most had minimal residual disease negativity after treatment. These were real remissions, as opposed to cosmetic remissions, according to Shah.

This efficacy translated into pronounced benefits in relapse-free survival, duration of remission, and overall survival. Patients who achieved CR did not reach a median overall survival with CAR T. Shah feels that this is incredible for this patient population. CAR T-cell therapy was expected to be a meaningful treatment in ALL, and now the data show it can be used safely.