The team of the Haematology Department of the Marqués de Valdecilla Hospital–IDIVAL, with Dr. Arancha Bermúdez as principal investigator, has participated in a leading international clinical trial on the treatment of chronic graft-versus-recipient disease (cGVHD). The results have recently been published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine.
CGRID is a serious, long-term complication affecting patients undergoing allogeneic haematopoietic transplantation, and is the leading cause of non-relapse morbidity and mortality after the procedure. This disease, whose prevalence is increasing due to the increase in transplantation and its application in older patients, can affect multiple organs such as the skin, liver, lungs and digestive system, among others.
The study, involving 50 hospitals in the Americas, Europe and Asia, investigated the efficacy of axatilimab, a new humanised monoclonal antibody that works by inhibiting the CSFR1 receptor on macrophages and monocytes, cells involved in the development of cRTI. This new therapeutic approach offers a promising alternative for patients who do not respond to standard therapies.
The results are encouraging: 74% of patients treated with axatilimab responded positively, achieving early improvement. Although long-term follow-up is required, these data suggest new hope for patients who, until now, lacked viable therapeutic options.
Dr Bermúdez stresses the importance of this type of research, which offers new opportunities for patients severely affected by post-transplant complications. Advances in immunotherapies such as axatilimab open a door to significantly improve the quality of life of many patients.
For more information, the full article can be found in the New England Journal of Medicine here.
