Dave, Me, Bart
“Looking at our old friends is all the therapy that we need in tiredness.” Unknown
Popping around in Infusion B the other day, meeting up with the other two Car T patients, I spotted Jean Ann the same time she spotted me, getting her husband Bart settled into a room. We met at our new patient orientation in Little Rock 13 1/2 years ago! We’ve run into each other from time to time over the years, and it’s always delightful. The last time we were heading out to the airport from our consultation while they were heading in. So it was a quick hug, hello, how are you doing?
Bart is much in the same boat as Dave, desperately needing something that will work to get him stable and in remission again. Getting into the Abecma Car T is not realistic for him right now in the shape he’s in and the long wait-line. So his doctor has him set to go into a study that does something very similar without collecting the T cells. It’s with Johnson and Johnson. I couldn’t find a lot on it but found a couple of internet links.
J&J’s new cancer drug leads a growing pipeline of dual-targeting antibodies
and
A Study of Talquetamab in Participants With Relapsed or Refractory Multiple Myeloma
What’s wonderful about it is he can start right away. What’s not so wonderful is all the parameters to get started. You know, specific markers need to be in certain places. No chemo, no steroids, no this or that for so many days before beginning. So they are in the process of getting him supportive care and trying to stay away from the things that will delay him further. Prayers for them to get in and get started with stellar results!
So much going on here, and we are following one another’s progress and checking in with a quick text a couple of times a day. How are you doing, how’s nausea, how did the surgery go? It’s both encouraging and nerve-wracking all at the same time.
