Kite and the CIBMTR Present Positive Findings From Real-World Use of Yescarta (Axicabtagene Ciloleucel) in Relapsed or Refractory Large B-Cell Lymphoma

Kite, a Gilead Company (Nasdaq: GILD), and the CIBMTR (Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research), the research collaboration between the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP)/Be The Match and the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW), today announced findings from an ongoing post-marketing study evaluating the safety and efficacy of Yescarta (axicabtagene ciloleucel) in adult patients with relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma. In this analysis, efficacy and safety of Yescarta were comparable to that observed in the ZUMA-1 trial, despite a larger proportion of older, more difficult-to-treat patients in the real-world setting. The findings were presented today at the 61^st American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting & Exposition, held in Orlando from December 7–10, 2019.

“The similar efficacy and safety results seen across this post-approval analysis and the ZUMA-1 registrational trial are extremely encouraging for appropriate patients with relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma who may benefit from Yescarta,” said Marcelo Pasquini, MD, MS, co-lead investigator and Senior Scientific Director of the CIBMTR; Cellular Therapy Registry Director; and Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Hematology / Oncology at the Medical College of Wisconsin. “The comparable early outcomes, including side effects, support the potential of Yescarta in older, higher risk and more difficult-to-treat patients that physicians often see in the clinic.”

In October 2017, Yescarta became the first CAR T cell therapy to be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma after two or more lines of systemic therapy, including diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) not otherwise specified, primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma (PMBCL), high grade B-cell lymphoma and DLBCL arising from follicular lymphoma. Yescarta is not indicated for the treatment of patients with primary central nervous system lymphoma. The U.S. Prescribing Information for Yescarta contains a Boxed Warning regarding the risk of cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and neurological toxicities; see below for Important Safety Information.