Dr Patel on the Utility of Orca-T in Hematologic Malignancies

Sagar S. Patel, MD, director, Communications and Media Relationships, medical oncologist, Division of Hematology, University of Utah Huntsman Cancer Institute, discusses the utility of the Orca-T platform in patients with hematologic malignancies such as myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), highlighting the platform’s safety.

Orca-T is a cell therapy biologic characterized by its precision. It comprises stem and immune cells sourced from allogeneic donors and harnesses highly purified, polyclonal donor regulatory T cells to manage alloreactive immune reactions. Within the framework of a phase 1b investigation, Orca-T underwent assessment in patients diagnosed with MDS. Patel begins by stating that the findings from this study encompass several key aspects. Firstly, in early-phase studies involving cellular therapy products, it is crucial to demonstrate the feasibility of timely product delivery, given the inherent manufacturing step, Patel says, noting that this was observed in the study. Secondly, the 1-year disease-free survival rate with Orca-T was notably high, at 94%. Moreover, at this juncture, none of the patients experienced severe acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), and moderate-to-severe chronic GVHD occurred in only 2 patients, he notes.

Furthermore, addressing concerns regarding toxicity, the non-relapse mortality rate was 0% at 12 months, indicating a highly favorable response in the high-risk MDS patient population treated with the Orca-T platform, Patel expands. Generally, the therapy did not pose an increased risk of GVHD; Orca-T was associated with a lower incidence of GVHD compared with conventional allogeneic stem cell transplant, he elucidates. Additionally, the end point of non-relapse mortality encompasses all non–disease-related adverse effects, none of which were observed in this context, Patel relays.

Thus, the Orca-T platform appears to offer an effective means of administering intensive allogeneic stem cell transplant with reduced toxicity, he reports. This is particularly beneficial for older patients with comorbidities, indicating a promising avenue for improving treatment outcomes in this patient population, Patel concludes.