Gilead matches Novartis with convincing CAR-T data

In the race to be the frontrunner in the CAR-T therapy field, the two companies currently in the lead position look to be mirroring each other’s progress.

Swiss pharma giant Novartis (NOVN: VX) might have won the race for US approval with Kymriah (tisagenlecleucel), but the nod for Gilead's Sciences’ (Nasdaq: GILD) Yescarta (axicabtagene ciloleucel), which the company acquired via its $11.9-billion purchase of Kite Pharma, followed weeks later.

So on the weekend that  Novartis presented encouraging follow-up data on Kymriah, it was no surprise to see the US biotech company putting forward an updated analysis on Yescarta (axicabtagene ciloleucel).