The field of CAR T-cell therapy is at a tipping point, with Gilead and Kite at the forefront of the next wave of innovation and potential future treatment options for eligible patients – beyond blood cancers.

“What’s exciting about CAR T-cell therapy is that it’s a one-time treatment using a patient’s own white blood cells to fight certain blood cancers,” says Priti Hegde, Senior Vice President and Global Head of Research at Kite. “CAR T has already demonstrated improved survival for patients with certain types of blood cancers, but we believe the potential for CAR T is far greater and can reach more eligible patients.”

A new study from Kite collaborators at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine explores the potential of a dual-targeted CAR T for eligible patients with recurrent glioblastoma – the most common primary brain cancer in adults with extremely limited effective treatments.

“For patients with glioblastoma it's near universally fatal, with only 9% of patients still alive two years after diagnosis,” Priti says. “The early results we’re seeing from this study show that CAR T-cell therapy may offer tremendous potential.”

Beyond the study in recurrent glioblastoma, new research is laying the groundwork for bringing the next iterations of these investigational therapies to eligible patients with multiple myeloma and autoimmune conditions. Kite and Gilead now have a unique opportunity to unify Kite’s expertise in utilizing synthetic biology to create and modulate immune responses with Gilead’s expertise in reactivating a person’s own immune system.

“The data really show that with multiple shots on goal and novel approaches, we’re in a strong position to move the field beyond blood cancers,” says Priti. “We look forward to continuing our research to usher in this next generation of CAR Ts with the goal of helping as many eligible patients as possible.”

Watch the video to learn more about efforts to explore bringing CAR T-cell therapy to patients with recurrent glioblastoma. 

Note: The safety and efficacy of CAR T-cell therapy for use in glioblastoma is investigational and has not been established.