The hope for a cure for mesothelioma rests on the development of new drugs and treatment protocols. Clinical trials test the safety and effectiveness of these innovations. They are operated under tightly controlled processes with the approval and oversight of the Food and Drug Administration. One such test that was being run at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York has just been paused due to a fatal serious adverse event resulting in a patient’s death.
CAR-T Immunology Therapy Was Being Tested on Mesothelioma Patients
The mesothelioma drug that was being tested was Atara Biotherapeutics’ autologous chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell immunology therapy called ATA2271. The drug targets mesothelin, a protein that is frequently overexpressed in the rare, asbestos-related form of cancer, as well as in other solid tumors.
ATA2271 had already been found to be well tolerated by mesothelioma patients in its Phase 1 clinical trial, and last January Atara announced positive results in both in vitro and in vivo studies. The researchers reported that it both suppressed tumor growth and improved the microenvironments surrounding tumors.
Mesothelioma Patient Had Multiple Malignancies and Comorbidities
Though malignant mesothelioma is known to be a fatal form of cancer, when a patient in a clinical trial suffers serious side effects and dies it is cause for concern. The researchers from Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK) and Atara are investigating what happened. They revealed that the patient had “a history of multiple malignancies and other comorbidities.” Still, they need to determine whether ATA2271 played a role in the mesothelioma patient’s death.
No new mesothelioma patients will be enrolled in the study while the case is being reviewed by the company, the researchers, and the Food and Drug Administration. Speaking of the death, Jakob Dupont, M.D., head of global research and development at Atara, said, “The safety of every patient participating in studies we are funding or conducting is of the utmost priority for Atara. Clinical evaluation of the case remains ongoing, and we are working closely with investigators at MSK, who are conducting the ATA2271 study under their IND, to establish the underlying causes of the event.”
If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma, clinical trials represent hope for the future. For information about the resources available to you, contact the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net today at 1-800-692-8608.
