UPenn, Novartis' CTL019 leads to durable remissions

Data from a Phase I trial published in Science Translational Medicine showed that chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapy CTL019 led to a 57% overall response rate among 14 patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), including three patients whose remissions have lasted at least 53 months.

The University of Pennsylvania and Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS; SIX:NOVN) partnered in 2012 to develop the treatment. UPenn had published preliminary results from the trial in 2011 (see BioCentury, Aug. 13, 2012). ...