Lifileucel, sold under the brand name Amtagvi, is an adoptive T cell therapy used for the treatment of melanoma.
[3] The recipient's T cells (the tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes) are separated from the tumor tissue, multiplied and then infused into the patient in a single dose.
[2][4] Lifileucel is indicated for the treatment of adults with unresectable (unable to be removed with surgery) or metastatic (spread to other parts of the body) melanoma previously treated with other therapies (a PD-1 blocking antibody, and if BRAF V600 mutation positive, a BRAF inhibitor with or without a MEK inhibitor).
[3] The most common adverse reactions include chills, fever, fatigue, tachycardia (abnormally fast heart rate), diarrhea, febrile neutropenia (fever associated with a low level of certain white blood cells), edema (swelling due to buildup of fluid in body tissues), rash, hypotension, hair loss, infection, hypoxia (abnormally low oxygen levels in the body) and feeling short of breath.
[3] The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Lifileucel through the accelerated approval pathway and granted the application orphan drug, regenerative medicine advanced therapy, fast track, and priority review designations under the brand name Amtagvi to Iovance Biotherapeutics.