The U.S. Food and Drug Administration halted an important study of immune therapy on Thursday after three patients died of toxic reactions.
The trial, being conducted by Juno Therapeutics of Seattle is among the most advanced exploring the use of genetically modified T cells to treat cancer.
Juno said it believed the deaths, the result of brain swelling, were caused by a preconditioning treatment, fludarabine, not by the T cells themselves. According to Forbes, which first reported the FDA action, the study is expected to resume with modifications.
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