Dr. McKinney on the Emergence of CAR T-Cell Therapy in Relapsed/Refractory MCL

Matthew S. McKinney, MD, cellular therapy specialist, hematologic oncologist, hematologist (malignant), Duke Health, discusses the emergence of CAR T-cell therapy in relapsed/refractory mantle cell lymphoma (MCL).

The FDA approval of brexucabtagene autoleucel (Tecartus) represented the first CD19-directed CAR T-cell therapy available for use in patients with relapsed/refractory MCL. The therapy appears more efficacious and has shown prolonged survival compared with other available therapies for this patient population, McKinney says.

Despite the excitement surrounding CAR T-cell therapy, questions regarding optimal sequencing and patient selection remain unanswered, McKinney explains. Not all patients with MCL will be eligible for CAR T-cell therapy for reasons including frailty, caregiver status, or inadequate lymphocyte collection.

Clinical trials are evaluating whether CAR T-cell therapy should be sequenced in the second-line setting before or with BTK inhibitors, McKinney concludes.