Autoleucel

Autoleucel is a term used in oncology to denote autologous leucocyte-derived chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies. In this naming convention, the final portion of the drug name indicates that the product is manufactured from the patient’s own white blood cells (leukocytes) and is engineered to express a CAR. The resulting cellular product is infused back into the patient after a lymphodepleting preparative regimen.

Process and targets: A patient’s T cells are collected by leukapheresis and genetically modified to express a CAR that recognizes a tumor-associated antigen, commonly CD19 in B-cell malignancies or BCMA in multiple myeloma. The cells are expanded and formulated for infusion. Manufacturing typically takes 2–3 weeks, and patients often receive lymphodepleting chemotherapy prior to infusion.

Clinical use: Autologous CAR T-cell therapies have been approved for several relapsed or refractory B-cell cancers and multiple myeloma. Notable products with autoleucel-related names include brexucabtagene autoleucel (Tecartus), tisagenlecleucel (Kymriah), axicabtagene ciloleucel (Yescarta), and lisocabtagene maraleucel (Breyanzi). These therapies aim to induce durable remissions in patients who have exhausted standard treatments.

Safety and monitoring: Common adverse events include cytokine release syndrome and immune effector cell–associated neurotoxicity syndrome, as well as cytopenias and infection risk. Management may involve tocilizumab, corticosteroids, and supportive care. Because these products are patient-specific and require specialized manufacturing, treatment is typically restricted to certified centers with established CAR T programs.

Regulatory status: In the United States and Europe, several autologous CAR T-cell products with autoleucel-derived names have received approvals for various indications, with ongoing research to broaden targets and approved settings.