The OncFive: Top Oncology Articles for the Week of 3/30

Welcome to OncLive®’s OncFive!

Every week, we bring you a quick roundup of the 5 top stories from the world of oncology—ranging from pivotal regulatory decisions to key pipeline updates to expert insights on breakthroughs that are moving the needle in cancer care. This resource is designed to keep you informed on the latest updates in the space, in just a matter of minutes.

Here’s what you may have missed this week:

The Long-Term Impact of COVID-19 on Oncology Care: A Five-Year Retrospective

Five years after the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, the field of oncology is still navigating its lasting effects. The pandemic has brought about profound changes in patient care—from the rise of telemedicine to disruptions in clinical trials and staffing shortages—transforming nearly every facet of oncology practice. Although some of these changes have introduced valuable advancements, others present challenges that demand strategic, innovative solutions to maintain high care standards. To better understand the long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on these various aspects of cancer care, OncLive spoke with 9 oncologists across multiple specialties, who shared perspectives on past shifts in treatment paradigms, current challenges, and future projections. Sign up to access this exclusive feature.

Orca-T Boosts cGVHD-Free Survival vs Allo-HSCT in Advanced Hematologic Malignancies

Data from the phase 3 Precision-T trial (NCT05316701) showed that treatment with Orca-T, an allogeneic immunotherapy, improved moderate-to-severe chronic graft-vs-host disease (cGVHD)–free survival (cGFS) vs standard-of-care allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (allo-HSCT) in patients with advanced hematologic malignancies. The data, which were shared during the 51st Annual EBMT Meeting, showed that the 1-year cGFS rate with Orca-T (n = 93) was 78.0% (95% CI, 65.0%-86.6%) cs 38.4% (95% CI, 26.2%-50.5%) with allo-HSCT (n = 94; HR, 0.26; 95% CI, 0.14-0.47; log-rank P < .00001). Overall, the incidence of moderate-to-severe cGVHD was 12.6% (95% CI, 5.3%-23.1%) and 44.0% (95% CI, 31.3%-56.1%), respectively (HR, 0.19; 95% CI, 0.08-0.43; Gray’s test P = .00002).

Cilta-Cel Significantly Prolongs OS Vs SOC in Lenalidomide-Refractory Multiple Myeloma

A one-time infusion of ciltacabtagene autoleucel (cilta-cel; Carvykti; n = 208) significantly improved overall survival (OS) compared with standard-of-care (SOC) treatment (n = 211) in patients with lenalidomide (Revlimid)-refractory multiple myeloma (HR, 0.55; 95% CI, 0.39-0.79; P = .0009). The 30-month OS rate in the cilta-cel arm was 76.4% vs 63.8% in the SOC arm. Cilta-cel also continued to showcase a significant improvement in PFS over SOC, with a 71% reduction in the risk of disease progression or death (HR, 0.29; 95% CI, 0.22-0.39; P < .0001). The 30-month PFS rates in the respective arms were 59.4% and 25.7%. “Cilta-cel is the first CAR T-cell therapy to show significant OS benefit in multiple myeloma…” Victoria Mateos, MD, PhD, of the University of Salamanca, Spain, said in a presentation delivered at 51st Annual EBMT Meeting.

Relacorilant Plus Nab-Paclitaxel Improves Survival in Platinum-Resistant Ovarian Cancer

The primary end point of the phase 3 ROSELLA trial (NCT05257408) was met when the combination of relacorilant and nab-paclitaxel (Abraxane) led to a progression-free survival (PFS) benefit vs nab-paclitaxel alone in patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer (HR, 0.70; P = .008). The median PFS was 6.5 months per blinded independent central review (BICR) and 5.5 months in the respective arms. An interim analysis of overall survival, the trial’s co-primary end point, also favored the relacorilant arm. “The ROSELLA results demonstrate that relacorilant in combination with nab-paclitaxel has the potential to become a key strategy to help improve patient outcomes,” Domenica Lorusso, MD, PhD, of Humanitas University, stated in a news release.

Q2 2025: 7 FDA Decisions to Watch in the Realm of Oncology

Following a busy first quarter marked by multiple high-impact approvals—such as perioperative durvalumab (Imfinzi) in muscle-invasive bladder cancer, acalabrutinib (Calquence) plus bendamustine/rituximab (Rituxan) in older patients with mantle cell lymphoma, and more—the momentum heading into Q2 2025 is strong and the oncology community is closely watching the FDA for several key regulatory decisions. With potential approvals spanning a range of therapeutic areas, the next few months could introduce new treatment options and reshape current standards of care. Sign up to access our curated list of 7 FDA decisions to watch this quarter.

Honorable Mentions:

• OncLive’s FDA Approval Report: The Regulatory Rundown for March 2025: This is your guide to all the oncologic therapeutic options approved by the FDA in March 2025. The roundup provides everything you need to know, right at your fingertips—all the topline findings that supported the decisions and expert insights detailing what they mean for clinical practice
• Revisit Every OncLive On Air Episode From March 2025: This is a recap of all episodes of OncLive On Air that aired in March 2025—all in one place.