Novartis halted multiple autoimmune CAR-T trials, and Bristol Myers Squibb voluntarily paused its zola-cel program, following immune-related adverse events observed in early testing. The actions affect rap-cel in Novartis studies and zola-cel in BMS programs, according to reports. The pauses underline how rapidly autoimmune CAR-T approaches are evolving—and how closely sponsors are monitoring cytokine-release–type toxicities and other immune complications in new disease settings. Both companies said they are reviewing safety data and will adjust development plans accordingly. For the CAR-T field, the regulatory and clinical impact is immediate: enrollment, site activity, and next-step risk management strategies may change while teams re-evaluate dosing, conditioning context, and patient-selection criteria.