Sufferers with Waldenström Non-Hodgkin lymphoma within the U.S. achieved sturdy full responses of as much as 15 months utilizing a chemotherapy-free CD19 CAR-NK (chimeric antigen receptor pure killer) cell remedy mixed with rituximab, in accordance with a information launch from ImmunityBio reported on January 16, 2026.
The therapy was given totally in outpatient settings and required no lymphodepletion chemotherapy, providing a possible new strategy for sufferers who’ve exhausted normal therapies.
What had been the outcomes of the QUILT-106 research?
Up to date outcomes from the continued QUILT-106 research present that sufferers who acquired eight doses of CD19 CAR-NK plus rituximab maintained 100% illness management thus far. Two sufferers with long-term follow-up proceed to exhibit full remission at seven and 15 months with out extra therapy.
One affected person with intensive bone marrow involvement, by which 95% of the marrow was overtaken by tumor cells, achieved full remission after 4 doses and has maintained it for 15 months. One other affected person with a number of lymphomatous bone lesions reached full remission that has lasted at the least seven months. Responses had been evaluated after two cycles, highlighting a fast onset of remission.
“These information spotlight a positive security and efficacy profile that’s significantly essential for sufferers with indolent but incurable lymphomas,” Dr. Lennie Sender, chief medical officer, Liquid Tumors and Cell Remedy at ImmunityBio, stated within the information launch. “Thus far, all sufferers have been handled as outpatients with no critical hostile occasions, demonstrating the feasibility of delivering potent mobile immunotherapy with out the morbidity historically related to cell-based therapies.”
The remedy combines CD19 CAR-NK cells with rituximab, concentrating on CD19 and CD20 on lymphoma cells. Sufferers acquired two doses per cycle each 21 days for 4 cycles, totaling eight CAR-NK infusions and 6 rituximab infusions, with no additional therapy required afterward.
Trial particulars and remedy design for the QUILT-106 research
QUILT-106 is an ongoing research testing an off-the-shelf allogeneic CD19 CAR-NK remedy in sufferers with Waldenström Non-Hodgkin lymphoma. CD19 CAR-NK cells are engineered pure killer cells that categorical a CD19-specific chimeric antigen receptor and a high-affinity CD16 receptor, enabling two anti-tumor mechanisms: direct CAR-mediated killing and enhanced antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity when mixed with rituximab.
The research is designed to manage remedy with out lymphodepletion chemotherapy or inpatient hospitalization. All 4 sufferers enrolled thus far have been handled totally in outpatient settings. The trial additionally plans to discover combining CD19 CAR-NK remedy with ANKTIVA, an interleukin-15 superagonist, and rituximab to additional improve immune response in indolent lymphomas together with Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia.
What’s the security and tolerability of CAR-NK for sufferers with Waldenström Non-Hodgkin lymphoma?
The remedy has demonstrated a positive security profile. All sufferers had been handled as outpatients with no critical hostile occasions reported. The absence of chemotherapy and lymphodepletion reduces the everyday treatment-related dangers related to typical CAR-T therapies, together with hospitalization and excessive toxicity.
“This up to date follow-up reinforces the central thesis that restoring and activating the immune system can ship sturdy management of illness with out chemotherapy or lymphodepletion,” stated Dr. Patrick Quickly‑Shiong, founder, govt chairman, and world chief medical and scientific officer of ImmunityBio, stated within the information launch. “Seeing full responses persist past a 12 months after therapy has stopped, in sufferers who had exhausted obtainable choices, represents a significant advance for sufferers with this uncommon illness of Waldenström lymphoma and validates CAR-NK as a possible next-generation immunotherapy platform.”
Future analysis and outlook
Enrollment and follow-up in QUILT-106 are ongoing, and extra updates shall be shared as extra sufferers full remedy and longer-term information mature. The present outcomes counsel that CD19 CAR-NK remedy with rituximab might present sturdy, outpatient-based therapy for sufferers with Waldenström Non-Hodgkin lymphoma who’ve restricted choices.
Understanding Waldenström lymphoma
Waldenström lymphoma is a uncommon sort of non-Hodgkin B-cell lymphoma that grows slowly and infrequently impacts the bone marrow and lymph nodes. Sufferers might expertise fatigue, anemia, enlarged lymph nodes, or bone ache. Whereas it’s sometimes thought-about indolent, which means it progresses slowly, it’s at the moment incurable with normal therapies, making new therapy choices significantly essential for sufferers who relapse or don’t reply to present therapies.
Reference
- “Sturdy full response of 15 months with a chemotherapy-free CD19 CAR-NK cell remedy in Waldenstrom Lymphoma” by Dr. Patrick Quickly-Shiong, et al., ImmunityBio press launch.
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