Novartis, BMS Pause Autoimmune CAR-T Trials After Deaths

Novartis has paused eight clinical trials of an experimental cell therapy for autoimmune and neurological diseases after three patients died from a severe immune reaction, a setback for a promising approach to treating conditions like lupus and multiple sclerosis. The Swiss pharmaceutical company confirmed it halted studies of rapcabtagene autoleucel, known as rapcel, on August 24 following the fatal cases. Bristol Myers Squibb also announced a voluntary pause in enrollment for its similar therapy, zolacabtagene autoleucel or zolacel, as a precautionary measure.