About a decade ago, Mike Jensen, a pediatric oncologist at Seattle Children’s hospital, licensed to a startup his designs for a powerful new type of therapy, called CAR-T, that would re-engineer a child’s own immune cells to target cancer.
The deal proved be a mixed blessing. The therapy eventually reached market as Breyanzi, one of three CAR-Ts approved for adult leukemia. But it was never approved for childhood cancer.
The story was emblematic. Although the first CAR-T was approved in 2017 for children, after it cleared malignancies in some on the brink of death, researchers hoping to use the tool in other pediatric cancers have struggled.
This article is exclusive to STAT+ subscribers
Unlock this article — plus daily coverage and analysis of the biotech sector — by subscribing to STAT+.
Already have an account? Log in
Already have an account? Log in
About the Author Reprints
To submit a correction request, please visit our Contact Us page.
STAT encourages you to share your voice. We welcome your commentary, criticism, and expertise on our subscriber-only platform, STAT+ Connect