Marcie L. Riches, MD, MS

Marcie L. Riches, MD, MS, Director of Clinical Research and Data Quality and Bone Marrow Transplant Clinic Medical Director, and Clinical Associate Chief of Hematology/Oncology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, commented on the study of tabelecleucel for The ASCO Post. At the 2019 Transplantation & Cellular Therapy Meetings, Dr. Riches spoke about virus-associated complications related to transplantation.

She noted that Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-derived posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder is a “devastating” complication after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation. A recent Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research registry analysis focused on the outcomes associated with this complication for patients who underwent transplantation between 2002 and 2014.¹ Although the incidence was low, the 1-year reported survival from the diagnosis of EBV-derived posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder was 55%, she said.

“Targeted therapies such as tabelecleucel demonstrate a welcome advance for our patients unresponsive to rituximab,” Dr. Riches commented. “I eagerly await the results of the MATCH study for my patients who have relapsed or are refractory to currently available treatments.” ■

DISCLOSURE: Dr. Riches is the local principal investigator for the MATCH study at the University of North Carolina.

REFERENCE

1. Naik S, Kamble RT, Hari P, et al: Outcomes of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplants with EBV-positive or EBV-negative post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant 24 (suppl):S370, 2018.