Study Identifies Key Challenges, Needs Among CAR-T Therapies for MM

Cost, access, and aftercare following infusion were identified as the most prominent key themes of pressing challenges and needs among chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies for multiple myeloma (MM), according to a study presented at the 2024 Tandem Transplantation & Cellular Therapy Meetings of ASTCT and CIBMTR.

According to presenting author Doris Hansen, MD, of the Moffitt Cancer Center, and colleagues the study aimed “to perform a comprehensive digital analysis to measure sentiment expression by different health care stakeholders and to identify health information needs related to MM CAR-T therapies.”

The study used public data from various online sources related to approved CAR-T therapies for MM. Those who self-identified as health care professionals based on their biography, social media name, or news article bylines, for example, were included in the stakeholder analysis.

Over the two-year study, CAR-T therapy was referenced most often in posts discussing efficacy, safety, and time to cytokine release syndrome. Of 471,500 MM posts, 47,909 were about CAR-T therapy, and 13,117 were specifically about ciltacabtagene autoleucel (Carvykti; 55%) or idecabtagene vicleucel (Abecma; 45%),.

Among the overall population, the key themes of pressing challenges and needs included cost (60.5%), post CAR-T infusion care (38.6%), access (37.5%), education (6.7%), and quality of life (6.4%). Among health care professionals, the significant key theme of pressing challenges and needs was post-CAR-T infusion care considerations (58.6%), such as extended hospital stays to manage immune-mediated toxicities.

Furthermore, ciltacabtagene autoleucel  and idecabtagene vicleucel were mentioned similarly on topics related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. These topics include access to CAR-T therapies, diversity in clinical trials, geographic location implications, and racial disparities.

“Our findings highlight the importance of demystifying cost perceptions and implementing comprehensive post-CAR-T care protocols aligned with the concerns expressed in social media discussions for improvement in CAR-T therapies for [MM],” Dr. Hansen and colleagues concluded.

“This study offers valuable real-world insights that can inform clinical decision-making, enhance patient-centered care, and contribute to the development of strategies to overcome challenges associated with CAR-T therapies in [MM].”

Reference

Hansen D, Liu Y, Lu X, et al. Unveiling the digital landscape of CAR-T therapies in multiple myeloma using social media insights. Abstract #524. Presented at the 2024 Tandem Transplantation & Cellular Therapy Meetings of ASTCT® and CIBMTR®; February 21-24, 2024; San Antonio, Texas.