Bristol Myers Squibb reported on Friday that one patient died while participating in an early trial for its investigational CAR-T therapy. The death occurred in a Phase 1 study testing the treatment for multiple sclerosis, a condition characterized by muscle weakness and extreme fatigue.
According to a press release from the company, the patient initially experienced motor symptoms that did not respond to standard autoimmune treatments. The individual was subsequently administered a potent immunosuppressant but later developed septic pneumonia and died.
This incident adds to emerging safety concerns in the field of CAR-T research for autoimmune diseases. In September, Bristol Myers Squibb disclosed that it had paused studies of the therapy after observing "transient and reversible inflammatory events during routine study surveillance." The company made this statement in response to inquiries from analysts and reporters.
Around the same time, Novartis disclosed that three patients died in its own CAR-T autoimmune studies. Those deaths followed a condition in which the immune system becomes overactive. Novartis also released this information in response to questions from investors and media.