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What is the survival rate of Kymriah?

Medically reviewed by Kristianne Hannemann, PharmD. Last updated on Sep 11, 2025.

Official Answer by Drugs.com

Kymriah (tisagenlecleucel) is a CAR T-cell therapy used to treat certain types of relapsed or refractory (r/r) blood cancers. Ongoing clinical studies continue to assess its long-term survival rates.

Currently, the available data shows the survival rate is 87.7% for patients with relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma at 24 months after the Kymriah infusion, and 43.6% for patients with aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The 5-year survival rate for patients with advanced B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia is 55%.

Survival Rates by Cancer Type

Children and young adults with advanced B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL)

The five-year overall survival rate in children and young adult patients with relapsed or refractory (r/r) B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is 55%. This means that 55% of patients treated with Kymriah were still alive after 5 years. This data is from the ELIANA clinical trial that included 79 patients.

Adults with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

According to the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research CIBMTR, the 24-month overall survival rate was 43.6% out of 1159 patients receiving Kymriah for aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Another study reported a 12-month survival rate of 59%.

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Adults with relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma

In the ELARA study, the estimated 24-month progression-free survival was 57.4%. The overall survival was 87.7%. The ELARA study included 97 patients.

These findings highlight Kymriah’s potential benefits in various blood cancers, though research is ongoing to confirm long-term efficacy.

Kymriah Treatment Process Overview

For those considering CAR T-cell therapy, understanding the treatment process is key. Kymriah involves collecting the patient’s T-cells, genetically reprogramming them to detect cancer, and infusing them back after manufacturing (a process that usually takes several weeks). Patients may receive bridging or lymphodepleting chemotherapy during this period, and specialized centers are equipped to coordinate care and manage side effects.

References
  1. Awasthi, R., et. al. 2023. Kymriah® (tisagenlecleucel) – An overview of the clinical development journey of the first approved CAR-T therapy. In: Human Vaccines and Immunotherapeutics. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/21645515.2023.2210046
  2. Dreyling, M., et. al. 2022. Long-Term Clinical Outcomes and Correlative Efficacy Analyses in Patients (Pts) with Relapsed/Refractory Follicular Lymphoma (r/r FL) Treated with Tisagenlecleucel in the Elara Trial. In: Blood. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1182/blood-2022-158024
  3. Kymriah [package insert]. Updated June 2025. Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation. Accessed September 11, 2025 at https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=aad3ba54-dfd3-4cb3-9e2b-c5ef89559189
  4. Novartis. June 12, 2022. Novartis five-year Kymriah® data show durable remission and long-term survival maintained in children and young adults with advanced B-cell ALL. Accessed August 2, 2024 at https://www.novartis.com/news/media-releases/novartis-five-year-kymriah-data-show-durable-remission-and-long-term-survival-maintained-children-and-young-adults-advanced-b-cell-all

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How is Kymriah administered?

Kymriah is administered as a suspension through a tube (intravenous catheter) into your vein, typically in your arm. This single-dose infusion usually takes less than one hour. Before you receive Kymriah, you may have chemotherapy for a few days to help prepare your body to receive the treatment.

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What type of drug is Kymriah (tisagenlecleucel)?

Kymriah (tisagenlecleucel) is a chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) therapy. In CAR-T cell therapy, a patient's cells are genetically modified to include a new protein that directs that specific white blood cell (known as T-cell) to target and kill leukemia cells.

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What to avoid when taking Gleevec?

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