By Drug Target Review –
CAR T therapies are saving lives, but toxicities such as CRS and ICANS remain a major barrier. What will it take to overcome them?
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy is changing lives for patients with hard-to-treat cancers. By genetically reprogramming a patient’s own T-cells to recognise and destroy tumours, CAR T has redefined the possibilities of modern oncology and is now being studied in other disease areas. Yet this remarkable progress comes with a challenge: the management of serious toxicities such as Cytokine Release Syndrome (CRS) and Immune Effector Cell-Associated Neurotoxicity Syndrome (ICANS).
At the centre of efforts to solve this challenge is Teresa Whalen, Registered Pharmacist and Chief Executive Officer of CytoAgents. Drawing on her background as both a pharmacist and a senior executive at organisations including Siemens Medical, McKesson and UPMC, Whalen has dedicated her career to delivering life-changing healthcare products to patients in need. Today, she is leading CytoAgents with a clear mission: to develop a universal treatment for CRS. Its lead programme also addresses ICANS, tackling two of the most serious complications linked to CAR T. The goal is simple but ambitious – to make these therapies safer and available to more patients.
