Phase 1-2 study of tandem CD19/CD20 CAR therapy for relapsed or refractory B-cell lymphoma

The percentage of patients with relapsed or refractory DLBCL surviving one year with traditional treatments is less than 30%. CD19 CAR T cell therapy resulted in improved response in these patients, but recurrence after remission remains a challenge. A single-arm phase 1-2 study in China evaluated tandem CD19/CD20 CAR therapy for R/R B-cell lymphoma. Median follow-up was 27.7 months. Median duration of response was not reached. Median progression-free survival was 27.6 months, and median overall survival was not reached. Cytokine release syndrome occurred in 70% (grade 3 or higher in 10%), and grade 3 CAR T cell-related encephalopathy syndrome in 2%. Two patients died from treatment-associated pulmonary infection, and one died from CRS-related pulmonary injury between 1 and 3 months after infusion.