Actemra rides in alongside Kymriah to treat CAR-T side effect

On the day that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced its approval of the first CAR T-cell-directed therapy, the regulator has stressed its awareness of the potentially life-threatening side effects of these advanced new treatments.

Novartis’ (NOV: V) Kymriah (tisagenlecleucel) became not only the FDA’s first approved CAR-T therapy, but also its first gene therapy, on Wednesday, with the treatment carrying a boxed warning for cytokine release syndrome (CRS), which is a systemic response to the activation and proliferation of CAR T-cells causing high fever and flu-like symptoms, and for neurological events.

"Today's approval provides physicians with an important tool to help manage this potentially life-threatening side effect"