Novartis halted CAR-T therapy trials after three patient deaths associated with severe autoimmune reactions following dosing with zola-cel for autoimmune conditions, according to the report. Bristol Myers Squibb followed with a voluntary pause to review data across its zola-cel program. The events involved immune-effector cell-associated hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis-like syndrome (IEC-HS), a serious complication described in association with CAR-T treatments. Both companies said they are focused on reviewing the clinical evidence and resuming enrollment as quickly as possible.