High response rates with novel CAR T‐cell therapy for adults with advanced B‐cell ALL

The results are from the first interim efficacy analysis.Because of the significantly improved DFS, randomization of the trial was terminated early after the data and safety monitoring committee reviewed the results."The new standard, when possible, is to add two cycles of blinatumomab to the backbone of Children's Oncology Group tested traditional therapies for patients with standard risk ALL with either an average or higher risk of relapse," says the senior author of the study, Mignon Loh, MD, head of the Division of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology, Bone Marrow Transplant, and Cellular Therapy at Seattle Children's Hospital.Dr Loh says that the investigators intend to test the addition of blinatumomab in patients with high-risk ALL (older patients or those who present with higher white blood cell counts)."I feel that it is highly likely, based on available published data from us and other adult groups, that blinatumomab will also work for these patients as well."