Bristol Myers Squibb voluntarily paused enrollment for its experimental CAR-T therapy, zolacabtagene autoleucel (zola-cel). The therapy targets autoimmune diseases.
The company initiated the pause on August 31, 2026, to review clinical data. Routine monitoring identified transient and reversible inflammatory events among participants.
This decision follows competitor Novartis halting its autoimmune CAR-T trials after three patient deaths. Bristol Myers reported zero deaths and maintains that the safety profile for zola-cel remains consistent with known CAR-T treatments.
Leadership expressed confidence in the therapy and aims to resume enrollment quickly after completing the evaluation.