#ASCO21: Novartis gears up for CAR-T fight with Gilead in follicular lymphoma — and safety could define the battle
Since winning the first CAR-T approval in the US back in 2017, Novartis has been hard at work expanding the reach of its blockbuster cancer drug Kymriah. Gilead’s Yescarta beat it to the punch in follicular lymphoma (FL) back in March — but now, Novartis says it has new pivotal data that could give its old rival a run for its money.
Of 94 patients given Kymriah for relapsed or refractory FL, 86% responded, according to primary results released ahead of ASCO 2021. A total of 66% saw a complete response — which is just a bit higher than the 65% Novartis touted upon sharing interim results from the Phase II ELARA trial back in December.
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