Northside Hospital Cancer Institute is now a certified treatment center for a new chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy for leukemia.
AUCATZYL® (obecabtagene autoleucel or obe-cel), from Autolus Therapeutics, was approved by the Food and Drug Administration on Nov. 8 for adults with relapsed or refractory B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (r/r B-ALL).
Why it matters: AUCATZYL offers a safer option for patients battling this aggressive cancer, with fewer severe side effects than similar treatments. The approval brings renewed hope for patients who face limited options after relapse.
- According to the American Cancer Society, acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) will affect about 6,550 new people in 2024, though it accounts for less than half of 1% of all cancer cases in the United States.
How it works: AUCATZYL is an autologous CAR T-cell therapy. It works by extracting a patient’s T cells and genetically engineering them to target CD19, a protein found on B-ALL cells. Unlike similar therapies, AUCATZYL is designed for a rapid “off-rate,” minimizing excessive T-cell activation and reducing the risk of severe side effects like cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS).
By the numbers: In the pivotal FELIX trial, 63% of patients achieved complete remission, with a median remission duration of 14.1 months.
- Severe CRS and ICANS were reported in only 3% and 7% of patients, respectively, highlighting its favorable safety profile.
What they’re saying: “Adult ALL is an extremely aggressive cancer, and there remains a high unmet medical need for treatment of relapsed patients, who have historically suffered from poor outcomes,” said Dr. Scott Solomon of the Northside Hospital Cancer Institute BMT, leukemia and cellular immunotherapy programs. “Approval of AUCATZYL brings new hope for adult patients with r/r B-ALL.”
Zoom in: Northside is one of only two AUCATZYL-certified treatment centers in Georgia and one of a select few in the U.S. to offer CAR T-cell therapy. AUCATZYL joins a lineup of six other CAR T-cell therapies available at Northside, including ABECMA®, BREYANZI™, CARVYKTI®, KYMRIAH®, TECARTUS™ and YESCARTA™.
Next steps: To refer a patient or speak with a physician about CAR T-cell therapy, call 404-255-1930.
Read more about the Immunotherapy Program at Northside.
