CD19 CAR T cell therapy improves QOL, cuts healthcare costs in SLE

Quality of life (QOL) among patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) improves following CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy, with also helps lessen the socioeconomic burden associated with active disease, a study has shown.

The authors assessed both physical and mental health using the standardized 36-item Short Form Health Survey before and 1 year after treatment. They also analysed annual direct healthcare costs based on inpatient admissions, emergency department visits, outpatient visits, and prescription drug costs in the German healthcare service.

Eight patients with SLE (age range, 19‒38 years, seven female) who received CAR T cell therapy and were followed for >2 years were included in the preliminary analysis.

CAR T cell therapy improved QOL in all patients, with the most noticeable improvement seen in physical health (from 22.4 percent to 75.5 percent). Mental health also showed a significant improvement from 24.7 percent to 63 percent. Notably, QOL values increased to the level of a healthy comparison cohort.

Furthermore, patients who received CAR T cell therapy enjoyed a substantial reduction in annual direct healthcare costs from USD 34,353/year (€29,672) to USD 3,582/year (€3,094) after treatment.

“Patients with SLE require long-term treatment and experience reduced QOL,” the authors said. “CD19 CAR T cell therapy can achieve sustained drug-free remission in patients with SLE.”