CBMG shows strong data in early CART trials

Chinese biotech Cellular Biomedicine Group (CBMG) shed some light on its early stage cancer immunotherapy program during an investor day in New York on 25 March. The company presented data from Phase I trials in a small number of patients that were treated with their chimeric antigen receptor-T cell (CART) technology. The CART space has been one of the hottest areas in oncology over the last year as big players like Novartis and smaller players like Cellectis have moved their therapies forward and shown impressive results in clinical trials; most recently, Cellectis increased the amount it plans to raise in an IPO by 70% to $197m based on the strength of its CART programs. CBMG is hoping to join the frenzy. The Chinese biotech reported that nine patients with relapsed or chemo-refractory B-cell acute lymphocytic leukemia received its CAR-CD19 T-cell therapy. Two of nine patients, or 22.2%, showed a complete response, while four of nine patients, or 44.4%, achieved a partial response – resulting in a 66.7% overall response rate (ORR). Meanwhile, seven patients with advanced diffuse large B-cell lymphoma were given the company's CAR-CD20 T-cell therapy. One of the two patients in the trial with no bulky tumors achieved a 14-month durable and ongoing complete remission and another achieved a 6-month tumor regression resulting in an ORR of 100%. Three of four patients with evaluable bulky tumor burden achieved three to six month tumor regression for an ORR 75%. While the results are encouraging, the data is very early and the number of patients in the trial is too small to be translatable to later-stages.