Novartis announced on Tuesday that it is pausing eight clinical trials of an experimental chimeric antigen receptor T‑cell (CAR‑T) therapy aimed at treating autoimmune and neurological diseases. The decision follows the discovery of three patient deaths linked to a severe immune response.

Safety review underway

The Swiss pharmaceutical firm said it is conducting a comprehensive review of the observed safety events. A company spokesperson told the Wall Street Journal that the fatal immune reactions are a known risk associated with CAR‑T treatments, which modify a patient’s immune cells to target and destroy disease‑related cells.

Novartis is working with independent safety boards that oversee each of the paused studies and is sharing all relevant information with regulatory authorities.

Industry response

Bristol‑Myers Squibb has also paused similar CAR‑T trials for autoimmune disorders as a precautionary measure, according to the same report. Both companies have not responded to Reuters requests for comment.

The pause underscores the importance of rigorous safety monitoring in the development of advanced cell‑based therapies, especially as the industry expands the use of CAR‑T beyond cancer treatment into autoimmune and neurological conditions.

Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.