What you need to know
John Theurer Cancer Center at Hackensack University Medical Center investigators co-authored a publication in the New England Journal of Medicine that will change the paradigm in managing aggressive lymphoma who failed standard therapy.
The research, titled “Axicabtagene Ciloleucel as Second-Line Therapy for Large B-Cell Lymphoma,” explored the use of CAR t cell therapy aci-cel or Yescarta - currently approved as 3rd line therapy in aggressive lymphoma - in a large global randomized trial against the current standard of care using high dose therapy followed by autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT).
The trial named ZUMA-7 showed dramatic improvement in favor of axi-cel over standard salvage and ASCT with a >4-fold greater median event free survival (EFS) – which was the primary endpoint, a > 33% increase in overall response rate (ORR) and doubling of the complete remission (CR) rate. There were no concerning toxicities, and the benefit of axi-cel in 2nd line therapy was confirmed across key prognostic subgroups including pts with high grade lymphoma and refractory to their initial chemotherapy.
Dr. Lori A. Leslie, M.D. was the PI for the ZUMA-7 study, and is director of the Indolent Lymphoma and Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Research Programs at John Theurer Cancer Center at Hackensack University Medical Center and assistant professor, Hackensack School of Medicine.
Hackensack Meridian John Theurer Cancer Center is a part of the Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, an NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center.