Bluebird Bio Scores Win for Immunotherapy Market

Bluebird bio (NASDAQ:BLUE) is making major gains today, after the biotech announced positive data from an early stage cancer trial. Seven out of nine patients responded well to the treatment for multiple myeloma—and as a direct result, Bluebird bio’s shares opened at a year high on Thursday.
The treatment in question, bb2121, is a CAR-T therapy. That means it genetically alters a patient’s T cells so that they will then seek out and eliminate cancerous growths. If that sounds familiar, there’s good reason for it: Juno Therapeutics (NASDAQ:JUNO) made headlines last week for their own CAR-T therapeutic candidate.
Unfortunately, that news was far from favorable: Juno put their clinical trial on hold following the deaths of two patients. It was actually the second time the study was paused—back in July, Juno also temporarily halted the trial because of patient fatalities.

Similar trials at the National Cancer Institute and University of Pennsylvania have also resulted in patient deaths—leading some to question the viability of this therapeutic approach going forward. Indeed, Kite Pharma (NASDAQ:KITE), another CAR-T therapy focused company, saw its stock fall in the wake of Juno’s July and November news.
Some researchers have insisted that the deaths in these earlier clinical trials cannot be blamed wholly on the treatment itself. Instead, they point to the already poor health of patients involved. “Because of their advanced stage of disease, they are more susceptible to adverse events,” David Chang, chief medical officer at Kite Pharma, told MIT Technology Review.
Meanwhile, Juno Therapeutics has not discontinued development of their CAR-T therapy, despite the clinical hold. According to the company’s press release, they are still evaluating options for the program going forward.
These assurances have done little to placate investors. But if share price is any indication, the new data from bluebird bio has. Trial results for bb2121 may have reassured investors that CAR-T therapies still hold promise—after all, bluebird bio gained 13.75 percent on December 1, closing the day at $68.65 per share.
Celgene (NASDAQ:CELG), which is developing the therapy in partnership with bluebird bio, also saw its stock rise slightly: 0.30 percent.
CAR-T therapies may have dangerous—and sometimes fatal—side effects. But researchers remain hopeful that they will one day revolutionize the face of cancer care, providing therapy options to patients who do not respond to other treatments. Bluebird bio’s data, though preliminary, seems to support that vision.

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Securities Disclosure: I, Chelsea Pratt, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.