Dr. Mateo Mejia Saldarriaga: Biomarker Predicts Response to BCMA CAR T-Cell Therapy in Multiple Myeloma

Mateo Mejia Saldarriaga, M.D., a hematologist/oncologist at NewYork-Presbyterian and Weill Cornell Medicine, explains how he and his team conducted a retrospective study that identified a biomarker to enhance treatment planning for BCMA CAR T-cell therapy in multiple myeloma. By measuring absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) through a routine CBC 15 days after a CAR T-cell therapy injection, they found patients with an ALC > 1,000 had a median progression-free survival (PFS) of 30 months whereas patients with an ALC ≤ 500 had a median PFS of 6 months. This new biomarker is now being leveraged to help doctors predict whether a patient is benefitting from treatment in as early as 15 days.