Pharmacist Medication Insights: Tecartus for Mantle Cell Lymphoma
Brexucabtagene autoleucel (Tecartus, Kite Pharma) is a cell-based gene therapy for the treatment of adult patients with mantle cell lymphoma who have not responded to or who have relapsed following other treatments.
In July 2020, the FDA approved brexucabtagene autoleucel (Tecartus, Kite Pharma), a cell-based gene therapy for the treatment of adult patients diagnosed with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) who have not responded to or who have relapsed following other kinds of treatment.
A chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy, brexucabtagene autoleucel is the first cell-based gene therapy approved by the FDA for the treatment of MCL, according to the agency.
MCL is a rare form of cancerous B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma that typically occurs in adults who are middle-aged or older. In patients with MCL, B-cells change into cancer cells that start to form tumors in the lymph nodes and quickly spread to other areas of the body.
Each dose of brexucabtagene autoleucel is a customized treatment created using a patient’s own immune system to help fight the lymphoma. The patient’s T cells are collected and genetically modified to include a new gene that facilitates the targeting and killing of lymphoma cells. These modified T cells are then infused back into the patient, according to the FDA.
