China approves BCMA CAR-T therapy for multiple myeloma, with Innovent beating Legend in race to be first
Innovent and IASO Bio received the first approval in China for a CAR-T therapy for multiple myeloma.
The therapy, known as equecabtagene autoleucel, will be marketed as Fucaso, Innovent announced Sunday. It is indicated for patients with multiple myeloma that has returned or progressed after at least three previous treatments, including with a proteasome inhibitor and an immunomodulatory drug.
In clinical trials, about three-quarters of the 101 evaluable patients went into remission after receiving the CAR-T therapy. At one year, the progression-free survival rate was 78.8%. One patient experienced grade 3 cytokine release syndrome — an immune storm that happens in reaction to CAR-T treatment — and two experienced grade 1 or 2 ICANS — neurotoxicity also related to CAR-T treatment.
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