The past 18 months have seen regulatory approvals for new cancer immunotherapy indications that extend the reach of the treatment approach to pancreatic cancer, certain brain tumors, and metastatic colorectal cancers that previously had no effective systemic treatment options. The expansion of immunotherapy to solid tumors, which proved far more challenging than the blood cancers where CAR-T was first successful, represents a significant scientific advance.
The treatments are not without complications. Immune-related adverse events can affect any organ system and occasionally cause life-threatening inflammation that requires intensive management. The high cost of individualized CAR-T therapies, which are manufactured separately for each patient using their own cells, raises profound healthcare equity questions as the treatments become standard of care for conditions they address more effectively than any alternative.
