Immunotherapy is a cancer treatment that helps your immune system fight cancer.
Immunotherapies for ALL include:
- Monoclonal antibodies
- Antibody-drug conjugates
- Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies
These immunotherapies have been developed in the last 10 years and are approved in the UK for the treatment of ALL.
- Monoclonal antibodies are drugs that recognise, target and stick to specific proteins on the surface of the leukaemia cells. They can stimulate the body’s immune system to destroy the leukaemia cells.
- Blinatumomab is a monoclonal antibody that has been designed to attach to the CD19 protein found on B-cells and the CD3 protein on T‑cells.
- Blinatumomab is recommended as first salvage therapy in Philadelphia-chromosome-negative patients previously treated.
- Antibody-drug conjugates are a monoclonal antibody attached to an anticancer drug.
- Inotuzumab ozogamicin is an antibody-drug conjugate made up of inotuzumab, a monoclonal antibody designed to target the CD22 protein, which is attached to ozogamicin, a potent anticancer antibiotic drug.
- It recommended as an option for treating relapsed or refractory CD22‑positive B-cell precursor ALL in adults. People with relapsed or refractory Philadelphia-chromosome-positive disease need to have had at least one TKI inhibitor.
