Three Takeaways from the Recent American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Conference for MCL Patients
For people affected by mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), scientific progress often comes one study at a time. At the 2026 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), held May 29–June 2 in Chicago, researchers shared new data on a wide range of cancer treatments, including several developments relevant to MCL. Among the many abstracts presented, several offered particularly interesting insights into emerging therapies and real-world treatment outcomes. In this article, the Mantle Cell Lymphoma Alliance highlights three presentations that may be of special interest to the MCL community.
Fixed-Duration Glofitamab Produces Deep and Durable Responses in Relapsed/Refractory Mantle Cell Lymphoma
Why is this study important to you?
This study looked at a new treatment called Glofitamab for people whose mantle cell lymphoma has come back or has not responded to earlier treatments.
Glofitamab is a type of bispecific medicine, meaning it is designed to link two different cells together. It helps the body’s own immune system find and destroy lymphoma cells by bringing immune cells into close contact with the cancer.
What are the details about the study?
The people in this study were followed for three and a half years, and the results were very encouraging:
- 82 out of every 100 people had their cancer shrink or improve.
- 77 out of every 100 people had no measurable cancer after treatment.
- Even among people who had already received BTK inhibitors (e.g. ibrutinib, zanubrutinib, acalabrutinib), about 71 out of 100 still had no measurable cancer after Glofitamab.
For those who responded fully, the benefit lasted a long time. Half of the people who had no measurable cancer following treatment stayed in remission for more than three years.
These results suggest that Glofitamab could become an important future treatment option for mantle cell lymphoma. A larger study is now underway comparing how Glofitamab works versus other treatments that have been used for mantle cell lymphoma.
Where can I find more information?
Breyanzi Delivers High Response Rates in Real-World Mantle Cell Lymphoma Patients
Why is this study important to you?
This study looked at how a treatment called lisocabtagene maraleucel (also known as Breyanzi) works for people with mantle cell lymphoma whose disease has come back or has not responded to earlier treatments.
This treatment is one of the two types of CAR-T therapies approved for mantle cell lymphoma. It is a personalized cell therapy that works by taking some of a patient’s own immune cells, training them to recognize and attack cancer cells, and then returning them to the body.
What are the details about the study?
The results from patients treated in everyday clinical practice were very encouraging:
- 88 out of every 100 people had their cancer shrink or improve.
- 80 out of every 100 people had no measurable cancer after treatment.
- About 79 out of every 100 people who responded were still doing well at six months.
These results were consistent with those seen in earlier clinical studies that led to this treatment being approved. This is important because it shows the treatment is just as effective in a wider group of patients, not just those selected for clinical trials.
The treatment has also generally been linked with fewer or more manageable side effects than some similar therapies, which may make it a suitable option for people who are less fit or have other health problems.
Where can I find more information?
First In-Human In Vivo CAR-T Therapy Shows Early Activity in B-Cell Lymphoma
Why is this study important to you?
CAR-T is a very helpful option for patients who have tried other treatments. However, the current method for producing CAR-T cells takes several weeks and requires cells to be obtained from the patient, modified, and then put back. This new approach allows CAR-T cells to be created while still inside the patient.
What are the details about the study?
This first-in-human study evaluated a novel approach that generates CAR-T cells directly inside the body using lipid nanoparticles that deliver cancer-fighting instructions to T cells — eliminating the need for traditional cell collection and manufacturing.
So far, only a small number of people have been treated, but the early results are promising. Among the first patients whose results could be assessed, two people saw their cancer shrink and one person’s disease remained stable. More patients are still being followed.
The treatment was able to quickly produce working cancer-fighting immune cells inside the body. It was also associated with removal of normal B cells, showing that it was effectively targeting B-cell populations. It could also be administered more than once, with side effects that appeared manageable.
These early findings are important because this approach could make this type of treatment faster, simpler, and more widely available in the future, without the need for complex manufacturing. It is still at an early stage, but it is an area of research that is developing quickly and will be important to watch.
Where can I find more information?
Taken together, these presentations highlight both the progress being made with existing therapies and the continued development of new approaches that could expand treatment options for people living with mantle cell lymphoma.
The Mantle Cell Lymphoma Alliance will continue to monitor emerging research and plans to provide a similar recap of key MCL-related findings from the 2026 Congress of the European Hematology Association (EHA), which will be held June 11–14 in Stockholm, Sweden.