I’m out of the hospital after getting an answer to one of my pending questions: how long would it take the novel KLN-1010 product to turn my normal T-cells into cancer-killing CAR-T cells?
The answer: About fourteen days.
That was the delay between the date I got the KLN-1010 infusion and the date I started to experience the “Cytokine Release Syndrome” side-effects that result from my myeloma cells dying and releasing their innards into my bloodstream. Fourteen days during which (1) the genetically altered viruses attached to my T-cells and injected their mRNA, and (2) the mRNA did its work inside the T-cells to alter them into myeloma-killing machines.
Thirteen days of seemingly nothing happening, then boom. Massive slaughter. Heinous killing. Myeloma genocide.
The CRS side-effects I experienced were mild in the scheme of things, Grade 1 they say, and were largely controlled by the infusion of a drug called tocilizumab, which quickly knocked down the fever I’d developed. Even so, they re-admitted me to the hospital, and I felt very crummy for a few days, fatigued, light-headed, and very low-energy. Due to all the death and destruction going on in my bone marrow, my blood cell counts fell (although today they are stabilizing). I’m still at about 65% normal energy, but feel much better than I did last Wednesday and Thursday.
Today I found this update on the first six patients to get the same new KLN-1010 treatment, and it seems that my experiences are similar to theirs, both in terms of the timing of CRS and the maximum lymphocyte count reached. The update also noted that the treatment was effective in largely eliminating myeloma in all six patients.
The update also noted that the results suggest the treatment could one day be given on an outpatient basis, which would make CAR-T myeloma treatment cheaper and more widely available. I’m pleased by the fact that the data from my participation in the Phase 1 trial will help make that happen.
Unless I grow a unicorn horn.
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Fabulous news Steve!
Such great news Steve! I’m so happy for you. Can’t wait to see you back in Kensington/Berkeley.
Hooray! And, seriously, just one horn? No worries.
Super glad you’re feeling better but also would appreciate you growing a unicorn horn, in the name of science of course. The results so far are inspiring. Take care friend.
Great news Steve!