Hosted by Matt Aldrich & Dana Prescott
Downloads
More from: CAR-T & the Future of Blood Cancer Debate Series
CAR-T Masterstroke Or Biological Chaos?
In 2012, a 6-year-old with relapsed ALL became the first child successfully treated with CAR-T cell therapy. That case launched a revolution. Sarah Mitchell and James Carter explain how chimeric antigen receptor T cells are engineered, why CD19 was the first target, and why CRS and ICANS are the price of their potency.
Moving CAR-T To Earlier Myeloma Lines
Ciltacabtagene autoleucel achieved a 97% overall response rate and 67% complete response in triple-class refractory multiple myeloma - numbers not thought achievable a decade ago. CARTITUDE-4 has now moved it to the second line. Sarah Mitchell and James Carter cover the BCMA story, the new targets, and the resistance mechanisms driving the next generation.
CAR-T Therapy Versus Bispecific Antibodies
The next phase of CAR-T addresses its biggest limitations: off-the-shelf allogeneic products, in vivo gene delivery, and bispecific antibodies that redirect T cells without any gene engineering. Sarah Mitchell and James Carter explore where the technology is going - and what blood cancer management looks like by 2030.
- CLL transformed by BTK inhibitors (acalabrutinib/zanubrutinib) and venetoclax combinations; fixed-duration venetoclax achieves MRD negativity in 50-70% enabling treatment-free periods
- CAR-T in CLL: TRANSCEND CLL 004 shows 18% CR, 45% ORR in BTKi/venetoclax-refractory disease - challenging due to T cell dysfunction
- Richter's transformation to DLBCL is the clearest CAR-T indication within the CLL spectrum
- Early T cell collection before BTK inhibitor therapy may improve CAR-T product quality when needed
POD-2026-023 - 06/26
Matt Aldrich is a medical science communicator based in Boston. With a background in biomedical research and health journalism, he specialises in translating complex clinical trial data into accessible conversations for healthcare professionals.
Cite This Article
Team TLSFE. Small molecules vs car-t in cll. The Life Science Feed. Published June 1, 2026. Updated June 1, 2026. Accessed June 1, 2026. https://thelifesciencefeed.com/oncology/melanoma/insights/small-molecules-vs-car-t-in-cll.
Licence & Rights
© 2026 The Life Science Feed. All rights reserved. Unless otherwise indicated, all content is the property of The Life Science Feed and may not be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written permission.
Podcast Disclaimer
Editorial & AI Standards
All content is researched from peer-reviewed, open-access sources — published trial data, clinical guidelines, and regulatory filings. AI tools are used solely to structure and summarise that evidence; no AI-generated conclusions appear without editor verification against the primary source.
Every article is reviewed by a named editor before publication. Source citations are listed in the References section. This content does not represent the views of any pharmaceutical company, medical device manufacturer, or healthcare provider.
References
[1] Sharman JP et al. ELEVATE-RR. Blood. 2021;138:46-53
[2] Brown JR et al. ALPINE. N Engl J Med. 2023;388:319-332
[3] Al-Sawaf O et al. CLL14. N Engl J Med. 2024
[4] Siddiqi T et al. TRANSCEND CLL 004. Nat Med. 2022;28:735-744
