Five Under 5: Top Oncology Videos for the Week of 7/20

Welcome to The Five Under 5, your go-to roundup of the top 5 videos of the week.

These short videos are designed for busy oncologists to view on the go, and feature expert insights on breaking news, regulatory updates, practice-changing data shared at medical meetings, and other key topics in the realm of oncology.

Here’s what you may have missed:

Late-Onset Toxicities Associated With CAR T-Cell Therapy in Multiple Myeloma: Darren Pan, MD

Darren Pan, MD, of University of California, San Francisco, highlighted delayed neurotoxicity and immune effector cell enterocolitis as rare but clinically significant late-onset toxicities associated with CAR T-cell therapy in multiple myeloma. He noted that neurologic complications such as cranial nerve palsies, Parkinsonism, and Guillain-Barré Syndrome have been observed in a subset of patients, with older age emerging as a potential risk factor. Additionally, delayed enterocolitis can present months after treatment as severe inflammatory diarrhea, occasionally requiring intensive supportive care. Pan emphasized that ongoing research is focused on understanding the pathogenesis of these events and refining management strategies, with the goal of improving long-term safety. He added that newer CAR T-cell constructs with favorable safety profiles, such as anitocabtagene autoleucel, may be particularly valuable for patients at risk of these late toxicities.

Standard of Care for Managing ER+/HER2– Advanced Breast Cancer: Kelly E. McCann, MD, PhD

Kelly E. McCann, MD, PhD, of UCLA Health, affirmed that the current standard of care for estrogren receptor–positive, HER2-negative advanced breast cancer remains an aromatase inhibitor (AI) plus a CDK4/6 inhibitor in patients without prior AI resistance. Although updated findings from the phase 3 VERITAC-2 trial (NCT05654623) demonstrated that the investigational oral PROTAC vepdegestrant significantly improved progression-free survival and response rates over fulvestrant (Faslodex) in patients with ESR1-mutated disease, McCann emphasized that these emerging agents have not yet replaced standard regimens. In her clinical approach, she often pairs fulvestrant with targeted agents such as alpelisib (Piqray), capivasertib (Truqap), or everolimus (Afinitor). Looking ahead, she noted the need to determine how newer oral SERDs like vepdegestrant and elacestrant (Orserdu) will fit into the treatment sequence, especially as endocrine resistance develops and patients eventually require chemotherapy.

JPB898 With Ipilimumab in Stage III or Metastatic Stage IV Melanoma: Piotr Rutkowski, MD

Piotr Rutkowski, MD, of the Maria Sklodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology, described the NivoReach trial (NCT06587451) as a highly appealing global phase 3 study evaluating the proposed nivolumab biosimilar JPB898 in combination with ipilimumab (Yervoy) vs reference nivolumab (Opdivo) plus ipilimumab in patients with previously untreated unresectable or metastatic melanoma. The trial will enroll approximately 720 patients across 23 countries, including the United States and European Union. Patients will be randomly assigned 2:1 to receive the biosimilar or reference nivolumab, both paired with ipilimumab, using a dosing schedule informed by prior CheckMate 511 (NCT02714218) data that optimized tolerability. Rutkowski emphasized the potential clinical value of biosimilar options, especially if efficacy, safety, and pharmacokinetics are shown to be comparable to branded immunotherapy combinations.

Future of BGB-16673 in Relapsed/Refractory CLL/SLL: Lydia Scarfò, MD

Lydia Scarfò, MD, of Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, highlighted promising early data with the BTK degrader BGB-16673 in relapsed/refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma, presented at the 2025 EHA Congress, and emphasized the need for continued research to validate its mechanism of action and therapeutic potential. In the phase 1 CaDAnCe-101 trial (NCT05006716), BGB-16673 demonstrated an overall response rate of over 80%, including nearly 94% at the 200-mg dose level. Scarfò noted that these findings have prompted two ongoing phase 3 studies—CaDAnCe-302 (NCT06846671) and CaDAnCe-303 (NCT06970743)—comparing the agent to investigator’s choice therapy in patients with prior BTK and/or BCL2 inhibitor exposure. She expressed hope that these trials will help establish BTK degraders, including BGB-16673, as a viable new class of therapies in the CLL/SLL treatment landscape.

Real-World Roles of Cilta-Cel and Ide-Cel in R/R Myeloma: Prerna Mewawalla, MD

Prerna Mewawalla, MD, of Allegheny Health Network, discussed how the April 2024 FDA approvals of ciltacabtagene autoleucel (cilta-cel; Carvykti) and idecabtagene vicleucel (ide-cel; Abecma) for earlier-line use in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma have shifted the treatment paradigm. Previously reserved for patients who had received four or more prior therapies, both CAR T-cell therapies are now approved in earlier settings—cilta-cel after one prior line and ide-cel after two. Mewawalla emphasized that earlier use capitalizes on better T-cell fitness and improved disease control, which may translate to deeper, more durable responses. She noted this shift could redefine the standard of care at first relapse for high-risk patients and prompt new considerations for post–CAR T-cell therapy strategies, as the field begins to navigate the implications of moving this approach up in the treatment sequence.