How is CT053 different from other BCMA-directed CAR T-cell therapies?

During the 62nd American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and Exposition, the Multiple Myeloma Hub spoke to Shaji K. Kumar, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, US. We asked, How is CT053 different from other B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA)-directed chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies?

CT053 consists of autologous T cells genetically modified with a CAR incorporating a fully human BCMA-specific single-chain fragment variant, a 4-1BB intracellular domain, and a CD3 intracellular signaling region. The advantage over other CAR T-cell therapies is that it has a shorter manufacturing time, of 8–10 days, which allows a shorter interval between apheresis and infusion. Kumar reports the results of an ongoing phase I/II trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of CT053 in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma.