J&J CAR-T Therapy Achieves 100% Response Rate in Early-Stage Lymphoma Trial

Johnson & Johnson announced first clinical data from a Phase 1b study of its investigational dual-targeting CAR-T cell therapy, JNJ-4496, in patients with relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma (R/R LBCL) who had not received prior CAR-T therapy23.

The Phase 1b trial reported a 100% objective response rate among the first 10 patients who had previously only received one line of treatment, meaning all 10 patients responded to the therapy3.

JNJ-4496 is a novel autologous CAR-T therapy targeting both CD19 and CD20—proteins often found on the surface of cancerous B cells23.

The promising safety profile and high response rates were presented at the 2025 European Hematology Association Congress in Milan, Italy23.

Most evaluable patients at the recommended Phase 2 dose (75 million CAR T-cells) saw a 75-80% complete response rate2.

J&J gained rights to JNJ-4496 through a 2023 deal with AbelZeta, paying $245 million upfront for the ex-China rights to the therapy (also known as C-CAR039 in China)3.

The study’s primary endpoints include safety and dose determination, and the global, open-label Phase 1b trial is ongoing35.

Sources:

2. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/johnson--johnsons-dual-targeting-car-t-cell-therapy-shows-encouraging-first-results-in-large-b-cell-lymphoma-302480701.html

3. https://www.fiercebiotech.com/biotech/jj-hails-safety-100-objective-response-rate-10-patients-lymphoma-car-t

5. https://globaltrialfinder.janssen.com/trial/90014496lym1001