Al Garfall

Oncologist @PennMedicine @PennCancer specializing in multiple myeloma and cellular immunotherapy.

[Muzaffar Qazilbash @Transplant_Doc]

Arlo-cel (anti-GPRC5D CAR T-cell) in Rel/ref MM. N=84, 5 prior lines of Rx, 49% anti-BCMA-exposed. CRS: 82%, ICANS 10%, other NT: 12%. Skin/nail AE: 30/19%, oral AE: 32%. ORR 87%, median PFS: 18.3 months #mmsm #bmtsm @SusanBal9 @BloodPortfolio https://t.co/hg0Jx87chU

[Al Garfall @AlGarfall]

It's been immensely gratifying to learn from this diverse team of innovative experts and, most of all, to see our patients do well: https://t.co/QFghn5tJVN

[Al Garfall @AlGarfall]

Proud to have contributed to this study @PennMedicine of dual CD19/BCMA-directed CAR T cells to reduce anti-HLA antibodies in highly sensitized patients in need of kidney transplant:
https://t.co/81BU5PIuiz

[Al Garfall @AlGarfall]

This ongoing study (NCT06056102) is a collaboration between transplant surgery, nephrology, pathology, hematology/oncology, and cellular therapy programs at three centers (Penn, NYU, MGH), all supported by @NIH.

[Suzanne Lentzsch, MD, PhD @SLentzsch]

One of the most rewarding and emotional moments of my career took place at #ASCO2026. In 2015, I started the first-in-human trial of 11-1F4 (now anselamimab), supported by a small FDA grant and @columbiacancer. At the time, the path forward was far from certain. We faced limited funding, strong competition from Prothena’s NEOD001 program, and considerable skepticism from industry given the rarity of AL amyloidosis and the fact that competing programs were already much further advanced in development.

Despite these challenges, we continued to move forward step by step. The phase 1 study demonstrated encouraging results, ultimately leading to the founding and funding of Caelum Biosciences in 2017 and the launch of the subsequent phase 2 and phase 3 studies. Those efforts were later advanced and completed through the commitment and resources of @AlexionCARES and @AstraZenecaUS.

@ASCO I had the privilege of chairing the session when the final phase 3 results where presented by Dr. Wechalekar, which demonstrated a significant overall survival benefit in patients with stage IIIA/IIIB κ AL amyloidosis🙌. Seeing a scientific concept evolve from an investigator-initiated first-in-human study into a positive phase 3 trial is extraordinarily rewarding.

This achievement reflects the dedication of countless patients, supporters🙏@MorieGertz, investigators, research staff, industry partners, and advocates who believed in this program over many years. It is also a powerful reminder of why we do translational research-to transform promising science into therapies that meaningfully improve patients' lives.

#ASCO2026 #ALAmyloidosis @Amyloidosis_ARC @Amyloidosisfdn @AmyloidosisSupp @ISA_Amyloidosis

[Al Garfall @AlGarfall]

@Rfonsi1 @HiraSMian @rajshekharucms @RahulBanerjeeMD @DrRakeshPopat @bdermanmd @HadidiSamer Agree need to watch for this. I have not seen this with Tec. We have seen PN with cilta-cel; paper on this coming out soon.

[Al Garfall @AlGarfall]

Good commentary from @IrenemGhobrial on the complicated question of whether clonotypic B cells are clinically relevant in #mmsm.

New Insights into the Role of Clonotypic B Cells in Plasma-cell Neoplasia https://t.co/PZDmXou12t

[Al Garfall @AlGarfall]

@rajshekharucms I argue here for bsab before cilta-cel based on tec3 and tec9: https://t.co/SDV74Z9gpE

Story may change later with safer CAR, but this is my preference for now.

[Al Garfall @AlGarfall]

@HadidiSamer @rajshekharucms 💯

[Samer Al Hadidi, MD,MS,FACP @HadidiSamer]

#mmsm #ASCO26 MajesTEC-9

➡️Tec vs. PVd/Kd (1-3 prior lines of therapy)
➡️Len refractory: 80%; anti-CD38 refractory: 85%
➡️median F/U ~1.5 yrs
➡️18-mo PFS rate: 70% vs 27%
➡️improved OS with Tec vs PVd/Kd (HR: 0.60), even with >2/3 of pts getting BsAb or CAR-T as subsequent treatment
🛑Gr 5 TEAEs (6.5% vs 3.5%)-higher with Tec vs PVd/Kd
🛑Gr 3/4 infections were higher with Tec vs PVd/Kd (42% vs 29%)

Teclistamab single agent in anti-CD38 refractory is a great option to have in early relapsed myeloma

https://t.co/B7qV66AFTX

[Al Garfall @AlGarfall]

@RahulBanerjeeMD @SLentzsch @H_Einsele @COMyCongress Case series of this approach @BCD_AACR https://t.co/f3NH9Qt5r9

[Raj Chakraborty @rajshekharucms]

Excellent summary of CAR-PRISM by @HadidiSamer: “For an asymptomatic condition with a risk to progress to a condition that has excellent treatment options and outcomes (and despite the deep responses) those toxicities reported are really concerning”!

[Al Garfall @AlGarfall]

https://t.co/SDV74Z9gpE

[Al Garfall @AlGarfall]

@Rfonsi1 was kind enough to let me guest author a post in his Substack arguing for tec>cilta-cel in 2nd-line MM therapy as a rebuttal to his prior post arguing the opposite. I hope #mmsm finds this to be a thoughtful exchange. Link below.

[Rahul Banerjee, MD, FACP @RahulBanerjeeMD]

Fascinating - albeit a little terrifying - @LeukemiaJnl work by 🇩🇪

How does GPRC5D loss affect surviving myeloma #MMsm clones? Here, remaining cells appear to be more aggressive.

Will be important to validate / rebut as talquetamab moves into earlier lines... hopefully soon!

[Waggoner Lab @LabWaggoner]

Nonsense-mediated mRNA decay inhibition reshapes the cancer immunopeptidome @ImmunityCP
https://t.co/WXRHSEs4Iz @CharlesSwanton @TheCrick @RobertVendramin @ucl @kevlitchfield @squezadd

[Andrew Portuguese, MD @AJPortuguese]

Excited to share our new medRxiv preprint on oncology data visualization with R. This collaborative atlas includes 62 reproducible templates for clinical trials and real-world evidence, with simulation-based examples throughout. @drjgauthier @YeinJ_StatML https://t.co/HesttHcFOX

[Saurabh Zanwar @ZanwarSaurabh]

Congratulations @MattReesMD! More evidence to support the use of CAR-T in appropriately selected patients with MM/AL

[Al Garfall @AlGarfall]

@RahulBanerjeeMD @BloodPortfolio @thisisJamesD @kczmj @AJPortuguese @AtrashShebli Helpful report, but would be careful claiming “100%” based on 46 pts. Rare but potentially serious event. Dara label says avoid live vaccine. Measles risk still very low. Another reason to avoid dara maint for which current evidence is quite weak.

[Penn Medicine @PennMedicine]

Congratulations to Robert Vonderheide, MD, DPhil, director of @PennCancer's Abramson Cancer Center, who has been elected to become the 2026-2027 President-Elect of @AACR. https://t.co/ZNRPDWKUEh