FDA-approved CAR T-cell Therapies

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy is a type of immunotherapy that uses a patient’s own genetically modified T cells to find and kill cancer. UPMC Hillman Cancer Center was among the first in the nation to offer the U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved CAR T-cell therapies listed below. We are western Pennsylvania’s most experienced provider, having treated more than 100 patients with CAR T cells.

Our therapies include:

ABECMA^® (idecabtagene vicleucel)

• For adult patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma after two or more prior lines of therapy, including an immunomodulatory agent, a proteasome inhibitor, and an anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody.

BREYANZI^® (lisocabtagene maraleucel)

• For adult patients with relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma after two or more lines of systemic therapy, including:
  • Diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) not otherwise specified (including DLBCL arising from indolent lymphoma).
  • High-grade B-cell lymphoma.
  • Primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma.
  • Follicular lymphoma grade 3B.
  • Treatment is also indicated for patients with refractory disease to first-line chemoimmunotherapy or relapse within 12 months of first-line chemoimmunotherapy, or patients who have refractory disease to first-line chemoimmunotherapy or relapse after first-line chemoimmunotherapy and are not eligible for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) due to comorbidities or age.
• For adult patients with relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) or small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) who have received at least two prior lines of therapy, including a Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor and a B-cell lymphoma 2 (BCL-2) inhibitor.
• For adult patients with relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma (FL) who have received two or more prior lines of systemic therapy.
• For adult patients with relapsed or refractory mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) who have received at least two prior lines of systemic therapy, including a Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor.

CARVYKTI^TM (ciltacabtagene autoleucel)

• For adult patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma who have received at least one prior line of therapy, including a proteasome inhibitor and an immunomodulatory agent, and are refractory to lenalidomide.

KYMRIAH^TM (tisagenlecleucel)

• For relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma after two or more lines of systemic therapy, including diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) not otherwise specified, high-grade B-cell lymphoma, and DLBCL arising from follicular lymphoma.
• For adult patients with relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma (FL) after two or more lines of systemic therapy.
• For young adult patients up to age 25 with relapsed or refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).

TECARTUS^TM (brexucabtagene autoleucel)

• For patients with relapsed or refractory mantle cell lymphoma.
• For adult patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).

YESCARTA^TM (axicabtagene ciloleucel)

• For adult patients with large B-cell lymphoma that is refractory to first-line chemoimmunotherapy or that relapses within 12 months of first-line chemoimmunotherapy.
• For adult patients with relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma after two or more lines of systemic therapy, including diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) not otherwise specified, primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma, high-grade B-cell lymphoma, and DLBCL arising from follicular lymphoma.
• For adult patients with relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma (FL) after two or more lines of systemic therapy.

Patients will undergo an extensive evaluation to determine their eligibility for this highly specialized treatment. To learn more, please call 1-833-876-2227.

What to Expect from CAR T-Cell Therapy

Patients who are approved for CAR T-cell therapy will undergo the following treatment process:

• Collection – Patients undergo leukapheresis at the Mario Lemieux Center for Blood Cancers at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center. During this process, white blood cells (including T cells) are collected from the patient.
• Modification – Our team sends the collected cells to the manufacturing laboratory, where they are genetically modified to express chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) on their surface.
• Multiplication – The genetically modified T cells are grown in the lab, multiplying so they increase in number. The lab freezes the multiplied cells and ships them back to UPMC Hillman Cancer Center. This process takes about two to three weeks.
• Chemotherapy – Patients will receive conditioning chemotherapy a few days before their hospital admission for infusion. This therapy improves the ability of the infused CAR T cells to expand and multiply.
• Infusion and inpatient hospitalization – Patients are admitted at UPMC Shadyside, and the CAR T cells are infused back into their bloodstream in a single infusion, like a blood transfusion. Patients typically stay in the hospital for one to two weeks following infusion so our team can closely monitor them for potential side effects.
• Recovery – The risk/recovery period following CAR T-cell therapy is usually two to three months. During this period, patients must be monitored for side effects and treatment response, which can be severe. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration requires patients treated with CAR T-cell therapy to remain near UPMC Hillman Cancer Center during the initial 30-day acute recovery period.

Contact Us About CAR T-Cell Clinical Trials

Physician Referrals

To refer a patient for evaluation for one of these clinical trials, please call 1-833-876-2227.

Patients

If you think you might be a candidate for one of these clinical trials, please call 1-833-876-2227.