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Novartis paused 8 trials of its rap-cel therapy after patients died from a severe immune reaction; Bristol Myers followed as a precaution
Bristol Myers Squibb is a global pharmaceutical giant specializing in oncology, cardiovascular, and immunology drugs, formed through a 1989 corporate merger.
Novartis paused eight clinical trials of its experimental cell therapy rap-cel targeting autoimmune and neurological disorders after three patients died from a life-threatening immune reaction, according to Reuters. Bristol Myers has also voluntarily halted enrollment in its own competing CAR-T trials as a precaution.
The Swiss drugmaker said it initiated the hold on Aug. 24 upon learning of three cases of immune effector cell-associated hemophagocytic syndrome, a dangerous disorder in which the body's immune defenses turn against its own organs. Complications from those events led to the deaths, the company said. Novartis added that this type of reaction is a known, potentially life-threatening risk of CAR-T therapy.
