CAR-T Therapy in Multiple Myeloma
Audio will be available soon!
About this Podcast:
About the guest:
Dr. Mallikarjun Kalashetty is a senior clinician and leader in hematological malignancies, stem cell transplantation, and cellular therapy, with extensive experience translating advanced therapies from global research into real-world clinical practice in India.
Episode overview:
In this episode of The Cure Circle, host Dr. Smita Karpate is joined by Dr. Mallikarjun Kalashetty, Head of Clinical Hematology, Hemato-Oncology, Bone Marrow Transplantation, and Cellular Therapy at Manipal Hospitals, Bengaluru.
More importantly, it asks the bigger question: Is CAR-T a final solution—or a stepping stone toward the next generation of cell-based therapies?
In this episode, Dr. Kalashetty and Dr. Karpate discuss:
- Why relapse is inevitable in multiple myeloma and how CAR-T changes outcomes in triple-class refractory disease
- Who qualifies for CAR-T therapy and when it should be considered in the treatment journey
- How CAR-T compares to chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and stem cell transplantation
- Real-world toxicities like cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and neurotoxicity—and how clinicians manage them
- Why CAR-T can be safer than transplant for select “CAR-fit but transplant-unfit” patients
- The current status of CAR-T availability in India, including DCGI-approved products
- Cost realities: India vs global benchmarks and what affordability truly enables
- Infrastructure, training, and ecosystem gaps that innovators and startups must solve
- Whether CAR-T is the endgame or a foundation for allogeneic, dual-target, and next-gen cellular therapies
The Cure Circle continues to bring together clinicians, researchers, industry leaders, and innovators to discuss not only what is possible in cell and gene therapy—but what is necessary to make it accessible, ethical, and impactful.