Bristol Myers Squibb announced Tuesday that its experimental CAR T-cell therapy, arlocabtagene autoleucel (arlo-cel), achieved its primary goals in a Phase 2 trial. The study evaluated the treatment in adult patients with heavily pre-treated relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer.
The registrational QUINTESSENTIAL trial met its main endpoint, demonstrating a statistically significant and clinically meaningful overall response rate. It also met key secondary goals, including the rate of complete response where no cancer signs remained after treatment. The trial included patients exposed to four prior classes of therapy, including a previous BCMA-targeted treatment.
Arlo-cel is a potential first-in-class therapy targeting GPRC5D on myeloma cells. The company reported a safety profile consistent with other CAR T-cell therapies. Bristol Myers Squibb plans to present detailed results at a future medical conference.