Axicabtagene Ciloleucel: The First FDA-Approved CAR T-Cell Therapy for Relapsed/Refractory Large B-Cell Lymphoma

Axicabtagene ciloleucel (axi-cel) is an anti-CD19 CAR T-cell therapy that has demonstrated efficacy in relapsed and refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) patients who have had suboptimal responses to conventional therapies. The immune activation that confers the efficacy of axi-cel comes at the price of potentially devastating adverse phenomena: cytokine release syndrome and neurotoxicity. This article serves as an overview of axi-cel, including a review of the available clinical evidence, mechanism of action, and management of some of the unique toxicities of axi-cel.