According to Zhitong Finance APP, Johnson & Johnson (JNJ.US) recently announced the latest research results from the phase 3 clinical trial CARTITUDE-4. The results showed that among patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) who had received 1 to 3 treatment regimens (including proteasome inhibitors) and were resistant to lenalidomide, a single infusion of the CAR-T cell therapy Carvykit (cilta-cel), co-developed with Legend Biotech, significantly increased the rate of minimal residual disease (MRD) negativity compared to standard treatment regimens. MRD is an important prognostic indicator for extending survival in multiple myeloma patients, and MRD negativity means that cancer cells cannot be detected in the blood using sensitive diagnostic methods.

Cilta-cel is a CAR-T cell immunotherapy that targets B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA), which is primarily expressed on the surface of malignant multiple myeloma B cells and plasma cells. The chimeric antigen receptor protein of cilta-cel contains two binding domains that target BCMA, aiming to bind with high affinity to human BCMA. After binding to cells that express BCMA, the chimeric antigen receptor can promote T cell activation, proliferation, and the elimination of target cells. Cilta-cel was initially developed by Legend Biotech, and in December 2017, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, reached an exclusive global licensing and collaboration agreement with Legend Biotech to jointly develop and commercialize cilta-cel.