Meeting on the Med 2021 | ATA188 in EBV+ progressive multiple sclerosis

Latent Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection in B cells is associated with an increased risk of the development of multiple sclerosis (MS), so it is believed that addressing the EBV infection in MS patients could lead to significant improvement in their symptoms. Pascal Touchon, President & CEO, Atara Biotherapeutics, San Francisco, CA, describes the ongoing Phase I/II EMBOLD trial (NCT03283826) assessing the safety and efficacy of ATA188, an allogeneic EBV T-cell product that targets EBV-infected B-cells in patients with progressive MS. It is hoped that ATA188 could become the first approved treatment that reverses disability in progressive MS. This interview took place during the Cell & Gene Meeting on the Mediterranean 2021 virtual conference.