Real-World Insights into CAR T-Cell Therapy: Efficacy and Safety of Kymriah in B-ALL and NHL

Abstract

Background: Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy has emerged as a revolutionary treatment for certain cancers, particularly B-cell malignancies. This study focused on the real-world outcomes of Kymriah (tisagenlecleucel), a CAR T-cell therapy targeting CD19, by analyzing data from the Cellular Immunotherapy Data Resource (CIDR). A total of 410 patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (B-ALL) and Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL) were included. Methods: Data were collected from 73 treatment centers across the U.S. and Canada. Key outcomes measured included Cytokine Release Syndrome (CRS), Immune-effector Cell-Associated Neurotoxicity Syndrome (ICANS), overall response rate (ORR), duration of response (DOR), and survival rates. Statistical analyses were performed using descriptive statistics, Kaplan-Meier methods, and logistic regression. Results: CRS was observed in 54.3% of B-ALL patients, with severe cases in 16.1%. The complete remission rate in B-ALL patients was 85.5%, with a 12-month overall survival rate of 76.4%. In NHL patients, the overall response rate was 62.4%, with 38.2% achieving complete remission. Severe CRS and ICANS were less frequent in NHL patients. Conclusion: Kymriah demonstrated high efficacy in both B-ALL and NHL, with manageable side effects. However, ongoing monitoring is essential to optimize outcomes and reduce adverse events. This study provides valuable real-world data, contributing to the growing understanding of CAR T-cell therapy’s potential in clinical practice.