LightNews — News, ranked by scholars

@drandrealove.bsky.social

Gene therapy is a life-changing field allowing us to treat diseases previously incurable.

The first FDA-approved gene therapy was in 2017 for B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL).

Kymriah (tisagenlecleucel) introduces a gene into T cells to better target cancer.

10/

March 2, 2025 at 7:54 PM

c0nc0rdance

@c0nc0rdance.bsky.social

At the time of his death from an unrelated illness, Sam Neill was cancer-free thanks in large part to CAR T cell therapy which was used successfully to treat his rare form of T-cell lymphoma.

The first CAR-T therapy to be FDA approved in the US was tisagenlecleucel/Kymriah, in 2017.

Sam Neill announces he is cancer-free after taking part in Australian clinical trial: ‘I’m very, very excited’

Jurassic Park actor is advocating for CAR T-cell therapy, which he underwent as part of a clinical trial, to be rolled out for blood cancer patients across Australia

www.theguardian.com

July 14, 2026 at 1:56 AM

Fyodor Urnov

@urnov.bsky.social

Emily Whitehead's life was saved by an "academic" team at Penn Medicine - this yielded an approved therapy, Kymriah, since used by Novartius to treat ~20,000 patients with cancer.
= science at research universities saves lives.
Pls read second subunit below.
www.cnn.com/2025/03/07/h...

Cancer survivor warns against threats to health funding | CNN

Emily Whitehead and Tom Whitehead join The Lead

www.cnn.com

March 9, 2025 at 12:34 PM

Rick Timmer

@ricktimmer.bsky.social

Novartis' Kymriah Wins FDA Approval as First CAR-T Cancer Therapy http://www.genengnews.com/gen-news-highlights/novartis-kymriah-wins-fda-approval-as-first-car-t-cancer-therapy/81254875?utm_medium=newsletter via @genbio

Novartis' Kymriah Wins FDA Approval as First CAR-T Cancer...

Novartis' Kymriah, previously known as CTL019, is indicat...

www.genengnews.com

April 5, 2025 at 12:35 AM

Institute for Immunology and Immune Health (I3H)

@i3h-upenn.bsky.social

In 2010, leukemia patients at Penn Medicine received an experimental treatment with results “too good to be true.” That bold idea became the first approved CAR T-cell therapy—Kymriah. Dr. Levine reflects on the breakthrough and the future of cell and gene therapies: https://bit.ly/4i5tXLS

From the Apollo Era to the World's First Cell Therapy: Sitting Down With Bruce Levine

Bruce Levine shares his journey from a childhood steeped in science to co-founding the first CAR T-cell trials, and explains why communication and regulatory collaboration are crucial for the field’s ...

bit.ly

November 14, 2025 at 6:57 PM

jyves94.bsky.social

@jyves94.bsky.social

→ La catégorie la plus importante est celle des maladies #Hématologiques 🩸, qui couvrent des maladies comme le #Lymphome, le #MyélomeMultiple et l’ #Hémophilie

→ l’oncologie est la suivante, dirigée par les #ThérapiesCellulaires #CAR_T 🧬 comme #Kymriah, #Yescarta et #Breyanzi

November 6, 2025 at 5:46 AM

Robin Lud

@fleshoversand.bsky.social

Wow, burn. Does that lymphoma comes from a bunch of corporations trying to sell you cheap crap? Is the country double worldwide average rates of lymphoma?
Is Kymriah an expensive subscription you have to maintain, or lymphoma comes back?

January 6, 2025 at 12:36 AM

bonibaru

@bonibaru.bsky.social

I worked on Kymriah in its early days and it is not easy, cheap, or free of adverse effects, but it can do amazing things when it works. HOWEVER: recent notice of serious risk of lymphoma has knocked it out of contention in MS treatment for the time being www.fiercepharma.com/pharma/fda-i....

FDA investigates 'serious risk' of secondary cancer following CAR-T treatment

In a blow to CAR-T therapies, the FDA is investigating a “serious risk” of patients developing new cancers after treatment with these highly efficacious oncology drugs. | In a blow to CAR-T therap...

www.fiercepharma.com

December 14, 2023 at 7:30 PM

healthinsights.bsky.social

@healthinsights.bsky.social

Gene Therapy Market Size to Surpass USD 3,251.92 Million by www.globenewswire.com/en/news-rele...

Gene Therapy Market Size to Surpass USD 3,251.92 Million by 2030 at 19.10% CAGR – Report by Market Research Future (MRFR)

Gene Therapy Market Trends and Insights By Product (Kymriah, Luxturna, Yescarta, Zolgensma, Strimvelis, Zynteglo), Indication (Oncology, Genetic Diseases)...

www.globenewswire.com

December 19, 2025 at 12:40 PM

💢Marx Was Right.🕊

@paulwalker44.bsky.social

Some examples of the cost of specific cancer treatments include:
• Atezolizumab (Tecentriq): Costs nearly $14,000 per month for lung, bladder, and liver cancer
• Erdafitinib (Balversa): Costs between $10,000 and $22,000 per month for bladder cancer
• Polatuzumab vedotin-piiq (Polivy): Costs $90,000 for a four-month course for a type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma
• Yescarta: Costs $373,000 for one dose for the treatment of non-Hodgkin lymphoma
• Kymriah: Costs $475,000 for one treatment course for acute lymphoblastic leukemia

September 15, 2024 at 2:42 PM

Alexander Tin

@alexander-a-tin.bsky.social

Now from FDA, after probe last year into CAR T cell cancer treatments

Labels to add new warnings for Bristol Myers Squibb's Abecma/Breyanzi, Janssen's Carvykti, Novartis' Kymriah, Kite's Tecartus/Yescarta

"can increase your risk of getting cancers"

www.fda.gov/media/175623...

A screenshot of text that reads in part: ": 1. Boxed Warning, Highlights Section of the Prescribing Information (Pl) T cell malignancies have occurred following treatment with BCMA- and CD19- directed genetically modified autologous T cell immunotherapies, including ABECMA. (5.9) 2. Boxed Warning, Full Prescribing Information T cell malignancies have occurred following treatment with BCMA- and CD19- directed genetically modified autologous T cell immunotherapies, including ABECMA [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS (5.9)]. 3. WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS, Secondary Malignancies, Highlights Section of the PI Secondary malignancies: T cell malignancies have occurred following treatment with BCMA- and CD19-directed genetically modified autologous T cell immunotherapies, including ABECMA. (5.9) 4. WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS, 5.9 Secondary Malignancies, Full Prescribing Information T cell malignancies have occurred following treatment with BCMA- and CD19- directed genetically modified autologous T cell

January 22, 2024 at 11:04 PM

David AI10bro

@ai10bro.bsky.social

CAR T-cell therapies like this are not living drugs in the sense they roam and evolve; they're engineered, deployed, and have a defined lifespan. Novartis' Kymriah has shown durable remissions in 40% of ALL patients post-treatment. Watch scale-up costs vs. efficacy retention.

August 4, 2026 at 2:15 PM