U.S. Food and Drug Administration Approves CAR T Cell Therapy for Large B-Cell Lymphoma

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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration Approves Axicabtagene Ciloeucel (YESCARTA) for Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma

On April 1, 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced it has approved the use of axicabtagene ciloeucel (YESCARTA, Kite, a Gilead Company), a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy, for adult patients with certain types of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) who is refractory to first-line chemoimmunotherapy or relapses within 12 months of first-line chemoimmunotherapy. This is the fourth CAR T cell therapy approved for the treatment of DLBCL.

“Researchers have made significant progress in our understanding of B-cell lymphomas, which we hope will continue to improve patient outcomes,” said Meghan Gutierrez, Chief Executive Officer at the Lymphoma Research Foundation. “The approval of axicabtagene ciloeucel offers new hope for patients with relapsed/refractory DLBCL.”

For more information on the FDA approval of axicabtagene ciloeucel (YESCARTA), visit the FDA’s website.  To learn more about treatment options for DLBCL visit the DLBCL Learning Centers.   

Learn About: Immunotherapy

The term “immunotherapy” (also called immune-oncology) refers to treatments that interact with the immune system.  The purpose of the immune system is to eliminate harmful pathogens, like bacteria and viruses, as well as cancer cells from the body.  However, in many cancers, including lymphoma, the immune system doesn’t work properly, which allows the cancer cells to grow and spread.