With commitment to innovation, Novant Health Cancer Institute has emerged as a leader in advanced cellular therapy, a leading-edge immunotherapeutic approach that has revolutionized the field of cancer care. In harnessing the power and potential of the patient’s own immune system, these biological therapies prevent or slow cancer progression and boost the body’s natural response to abnormal cell growth.
Innovative cellular therapy available at Novant Health
Immunotherapy drugs have been approved to treat many types of cancers, including certain hematological and solid tumor malignancies. Considering the rapid scientific advancement of cellular therapies, new indications for use are constantly emerging. Clinical trials are underway, hoping to expand the use of these groundbreaking treatments to other forms of cancer, autoimmune disorders and neurodegenerative disorders. Novant Health takes pride in its position as a pioneer in research, championing the application of immunotherapies to diagnoses such as Sjogren’s Syndrome.
In the United States, Novant Health stands as one of only a select group of accredited cancer programs to deliver transformational cell therapies and immune effector cell therapies. Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy (CAR-T) is available both inpatient and outpatient and is routinely used to personalize treatment of recurrent or refractory lymphoma, acute lymphoblastic leukemia and multiple myeloma. In addition to Yescarta, Tecartus, Carvykti and Breyanzi, Novant Health offers Abecma, an autologous T-cell immunotherapy agent indicated for the treatment of relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma.
Each patient will undergo a careful assessment to verify that they are a good candidate to withstand the procedure and tolerate potential side effects. Since this therapy has limited availability, Novant Health has been resolute in bringing this technology to the Carolinas. The institution is an active contributor in next generation research that aims to contribute to understanding the expanding application and utility of CAR-T therapy to target other hematological and solid tumor malignancies.
Novant Health Cancer Institute also offers bispecific antibody therapy, a progressive treatment option intended to help patients with aggressive disease. This therapeutic option is designed to recognize and bind to more than one cell marker, thereby redirecting the body’s immune system to identify the cancer cell and destroy it.
Notably, Novant Health has been among the first to provide these clinical trial therapies. According to the trial sponsor, ARCE Therapeutics Inc., Novant Health will be the only site in the world for the new CAR-T agent targeting CLL-1 for AML when its study is first activated.
Tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy has made its debut at Novant Health, one of the first centers both regionally and nationally to treat refractory solid tumors. Dr. Garrett Sherwood, a medical oncologist at Novant Health, serves as the principal investigator for an international phase 2 clinical trial that has the potential to dramatically shift treatment trajectory for non-small cell lung cancer. Opened in 2023, the study serves as a strategy to overcome acquired therapeutic resistance post-immunotherapy. TIL therapy is already available for melanoma and shows promise in regenerating responsiveness of the immune system.
The multidisciplinary referral process at Novant Health
The most imperative indicator of success hinges on timely referral to treatment. While some misconceptions exist around eligibility in the broader cancer community, referring providers are urged to initiate the process if there is any question that a patient may be a candidate for cellular therapy.
With an organizational mission to improve access to top quality care, Novant Health Cancer Institute aims to uncomplicate the referral process and streamline efforts. Currently, Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center and Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center offer these groundbreaking cancer services. Despite being on multiple campuses, the teams connect across regular meetings, taking an integrated multimodality approach that allows them to gain a more comprehensive understanding of each patient’s individual presentation.
Oncology specialists at Novant Health have developed a rigorous patient selection process. Individual cellular therapy providers present prospective patients to a multidisciplinary panel of experts at weekly meetings. Each patient case is meticulously reviewed using well-established scoring systems and comorbidity criteria to determine suitability of treatment. The individual risks and benefits are discussed in detail. If a patient is deemed to be a good candidate, they are required to undergo thorough organ function testing. The results are brought back to the multidisciplinary panel for final review.
Beyond state-of-the-art oncological services, Novant Health offers supportive care throughout the course of cellular therapy administration and recovery processes. Provider-based ambulatory infusion centers are a vital component of the care team, offering infusion and injection services to help make therapy comfortable and convenient for patients without the need for hospitalization.
ARCE study is fully activated and screening patients.
OncologyClinicalTrialReferral@NovantHealth.org
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