Grant: Project Grant

Multiple myeloma is an incurable cancer. Typically, patients receive continuous treatment for years until it stops working requiring frequent hospital visits. Novel immune therapies have been developed where cancer patients' own white blood cells are engineered in the laboratory to fight cancer and are then given back to the patient. These engineered blood cells seek out and kill tumour cells. Recent clinical trials testing these engineered cells for the treatment of multiple myeloma have shown great promise, including the opportunity to stop cancer treatment for a while as the engineered cells (a "living drug") continue to work in the body. Despite this, the current generation of these cell therapies are not curative, work for a limited time, cause serious side effects, and come with a very high price tag at over $500,000 per dose. We have developed a next generation cell therapy that offers the potential for reduced toxicity and improved duration of response. With CIHR funding, we will manufacture personalized therapies and conduct a first-in-human clinical trial for 14 patients with relapsed and refractory myeloma. In this phase I study, through collaborations among the Canadian Cancer Trials Group, Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont, Juravinski Cancer Centre, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Foothills Hospital in Calgary, Canadian Blood Services, and Octane/Lonza, a Canadian biotechnology company, we will establish a recommended dose range for future testing and ensure the treatment is safe. In addition to potential clinical benefits for patients, this trial will provide crucial experience in the conduct of complex collaborative academic-led cell therapy studies in Canada. The manufacturing method we are using is expected in time to greatly reduce the cost of therapy making it much more affordable and available to patients who may benefit.