Dr. Patel on Future Research Directions With CAR T-Cell Therapy in Myeloma

Krina K. Patel, MD, MSc, associate professor, Department of Lymphoma/Myeloma, Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses future research directions with CAR T-cell therapy in patients with multiple myeloma.

For most patients receiving BCMA-targeted approaches, sequencing decisions may present a challenge, Patel explains. More information is needed to better understand resistance mechanisms with these agents so that they are not administered to patients who no longer have BCMA expression, Patel adds. However, this only occurs in a small number of patients rather than the majority, especially with the advent of CAR T-cell therapy, Patel notes.

Ideally, CAR T-cell therapy should be an option for every patient if eligible, according to Patel. Eventually, the goal is to use these products in those who previously received them and have relapsed, Patel says. Some anecdotal cases of this have been reported in clinical trials, Patel adds.

Additionally, the emergence of new antigens beyond BCMA are generating excitement in the paradigm, Patel adds. Future efforts will likely explore CAR T-cell therapies that target these antigens and explore novel combinations with these products. Looking forward, data on head-to-head comparisons between CAR-T cell therapy and stem cell transplant are highly anticipated, Patel concludes.