100% of multiple myeloma patients respond to Janssen's investigational CAR T therapy, data shows

Janssen has revealed new Phase1b/2 findings of the efficacy of its investigational B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA)-directed chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) therapy, known as JNJ-4528, in the treatment of relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma

The company reported that the findings revealed a 100% response rate among participants to the therapy, and this breaks down into 97% achieving a “very good partial response or better” and 3% achieving a partial response. Evaluated participants had previously received a median of five treatment regimens, with 86% of them triple-refractory while 28% were penta-refractory.

The data further showed that, median time to response was one month, and after a median follow-up of 11.5 months, 86% of patients receiving the therapy achieved stringent complete response, while 86% of patients were alive and free of disease progression at nine months.

However, it was also noted that 100% of patients experienced the adverse event neutropenia, while 93% experienced cytokine release syndrome.

“These recently updated data from the CARTITUDE-1 study suggest a durable response and tolerable safety profile for JNJ-4528,” commented Dr Sen Zhuang, Vice President, Oncology Clinical Development at Janssen. “We continue to advance the investigation of this novel CAR-T treatment with the goal of bringing a differentiated immunotherapy to patients with multiple myeloma, many of whom have exhausted all potential prior treatment options.”

The promising findings are to be followed by longer-term follow-up data from the Phase1b portion of the study, which is due to be presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Virtual Scientific Program, Janssen confirmed.

Matt Fellows