If the week had a scientific throughline, it was this: haematologic oncology is no longer content with incremental gains – it’s stress-testing the limits of response, durability and, increasingly, cure.

In B-cell lymphomas, the conversation has clearly moved beyond first-generation CD19-only CAR-T therapies. A new wave of early clinical data explored broader targeting strategies designed to reduce relapse and antigen escape. Miltenyi Biomedicine presented pivotal data on zamto-cel, a next-generation CAR-T for people whose large B-cell lymphoma has returned or stopped responding to treatment. Leveraging a non-cryopreserved or ‘fresh’ CAR-T therapy cut the wait between cell collection and infusion to just two weeks, while also aiming to preserve T-cell fitness. Zamto-cel helped patients live significantly longer without their disease worsening compared with standard chemotherapy. The difference wasn’t marginal, with far more patients remaining event-free.

Accessibility beyond specialist centres emerged as another key theme. Kite presented early-phase data on two next-generation CAR-T therapies, Kite-636 and Kite-753, in people with relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma. Both programmes showed encouraging signs of disease control alongside safety profiles suitable for outpatient use, pointing to real ‘community readiness’ rather than hospital-only delivery. Kite-753 also demonstrated preserved T-cell health, a signal linked to longer-lasting responses.

Elsewhere in B-cell lymphoma, the development of allogeneic ‘off-the-shelf’ CAR-T therapies signalled another important advance. Legend Biotech’s dual anti-CD20/CD19 CAR-T LUCAR-G39D showed promising first-in-human results, with encouraging safety and efficacy in B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-NHL).Imugene’s Azer-cel also drew attention as a potential first-in-class candidate for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma patients who relapsed following CAR-T. Phase 1b data showed high overall response rates with molecular remissions – encouraging signs for a growing population with high unmet need.

Finally, PMB-CT01 – a BAFFR-targeting CAR-T from PeproMene Bio – was highlighted as a potential option for B-NHL and B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia patients whose disease has progressed on CD19 CAR-T or is CD19-negative. Interim phase 1 data suggests BAFFR targeting can overcome antigen escape while maintaining durable activity and low toxicity.

Together, the data suggested a future where CAR-T therapies are not only more effective, they’re easier to deliver, reaching more patients in more settings.
In multiple myeloma, next-generation BCMA-targeted CAR-T therapies continued to strengthen their case. Kite’s anitocabtagene autoleucel (anito-cel) reinforced its best-in-class potential in relapsed or refractory disease, with data highlighting deep and durable responses that support its positioning as a future cornerstone therapy. Patients treated with the therapy achieved a 96% overall response rate at the 15.9 month mark, with cancer undetectable in 74% of patients.

Elsewhere, early proof-of-concept data on the in vivo CAR-T generation highlighted KLN-1010, which aims to generate BCMA targeted CAR-T cells inside the patient. Data from Kelonia Therapeutics showed no detectable cancer one month after treatment in patients with relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma. It’s still early days, but wow.

One of the clearest signals this year was how decisively treatment for blood cancers is moving away from traditional, chemotherapy-heavy approaches. In acute myeloid leukaemia, regimens like azacitidine plus venetoclax continue to demonstrate that intensive induction chemotherapy is no longer the only effective option, offering meaningful responses with reduced toxicity and treatment burden. Elsewhere, bispecific antibodies and targeted inhibitors, including agents such as epcoritamab, glofitamab and next-generation BTK inhibitors, showed how immune-based strategies can achieve durable disease control while allowing patients to spend less time in hospital and more time living their lives.

One of the most talked-about read-outs came from the phase 3 MajesTEC-3 trial, which tested a combination of two immunotherapies – the bispecific antibody teclistamab (Tecvayli) and the CD38-targeting antibody daratumumab – against standard second-line multiple myeloma treatments. Patients receiving the ‘Tec-Dara’ combo were 83% more likely to be alive without their disease progressing after nearly three years, an incredible result that surprised investigators, suggesting this approach could define a new standard of care earlier in the disease.

Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia offered another clear example of this evolution.
The CLL17 study showed that fixed-duration targeted therapies, including venetoclax-based combinations, achieved non-inferior progression-free survival ompared with continuous treatment using ibrutinib. For many newly diagnosed patients, time-limited therapy is now emerging as a primary option, reducing the burden of indefinite treatment while maintaining efficacy.

The shift away from chemotherapy was reinforced further by data on next-generation BTK inhibition. In previously untreated CLL and small lymphocytic lymphoma, pirtobrutinib demonstrated improved progression-free survival and a more favourable safety profile compared with bendamustine plus rituximab – strengthening the case for targeted, chemo-free approaches earlier in the disease course.

These advances point to a broader recalibration of what success looks like in haematologic oncology. Cure remains the ultimate ambition, but ASH 2025 highlighted that progress also means fewer side effects, shorter or finite treatment durations and therapies that fit more realistically into patients’ lives. In that sense, the move beyond chemotherapy isn’t just a scientific shift, it’s a human one.

While oncology dominated much of the conversation, the meeting also took time to mark a quieter but no less important milestone: ten years of sustained progress in sickle cell disease (SCD). The anniversary served as a reminder of how far the field has come, not just in treating acute crises, but in building a fuller understanding of the lived experience of people with SCD. Sessions explored the full spectrum of sickle cell pain and the growing role of real-world data in shaping day-to-day care beyond clinical endpoints.

ASH also highlighted advances in other non-malignant haematologic conditions that rarely command headlines. One of the most prominent was in immune thrombocytopenia (ITP), where phase 3 data showed that ianalumab, targeting the BAFF receptor, could meaningfully extend disease control when added to eltrombopag, delaying progression and keeping platelet counts at safe levels for longer.

The message: progress in haematology isn’t confined to cancer alone, and the impact on patients’ lives is no less profound when it happens outside the spotlight.

ASH 2025 didn’t hedge its position. Advocacy was visible, deliberate and woven into the fabric of the meeting. Under the banner of Fight 4 Hematology, ASH made its own stance clear: stand up for science; for research; for inclusion and for patients. Rainbow branding and ‘all are welcome here’ messaging served as an explicit signal that diversity of people, perspectives and experience is fundamental to progress in haematology. The mood was less fairytale and more Andor – principled, defiant and clear-eyed about what standing your ground can achieve.

Advocacy moved beyond values into lived reality. The meeting repeatedly surfaced the gap between innovation and access, acknowledging that breakthroughs only matter if patients can reach them. For complex therapies like CAR-T, barriers aren’t just financial, they’re logistical, involving travel, time and support networks. Here, advocacy was framed as action rather than aspiration: fighting for science meant fighting for health systems that allow patients to access it.

That same confidence carried straight onto the exhibition floor. What greeted delegates was unapologetically bold in scale and intent, with Sanofi, Novartis, J&J, Pfizer and others commanding large, visually striking spaces.

But the message across the hall was remarkably consistent: science-led; human-centred. Storytelling focused on purpose, with education at its heart and success measured in lives touched rather than assets launched.

What set this year apart was immersion with intent. Sanofi created a spatial oncology experience designed to pull visitors inside the science. Incyte’s heme arch invited delegates to hear directly from MPN and GVHD experts. Novartis leaned into provocation with ‘Great minds think unalike’, pairing the message with a fully immersive MOA movie theatre for ianalumab that blended sound, visuals and data. Elsewhere, BMS walked clinicians through the practical realities of navigating CAR-T care, while Lilly’s ‘Be the Spark’ experience tied directly to its IGNITE campaign for pirtobrutinib. Across the hall, experiences were designed to educate and connect.

The focus was unmistakably HCP-centric. Where previous years leaned on patient-centred art, ASH 2025 invited clinicians to engage directly with mechanisms, evidence and decision-making, with the exhibition feeling like an extension of the scientific programme. You weren’t just looking at the future of haematology, you were inside it.

ASH 2025 didn’t come to Orlando to play it safe. In the shadow of Cinderella’s Castle, the meeting chose substance over spectacle and conviction over comfort.

Bold science, bold storytelling and bold advocacy came together with a clear message: stand up for science; stand up for inclusion and stand firmly on the side of patients.

No glass slippers here. This was the real thing.

Suzanne Bobadilla is Executive Director Global Medical Strategy at VML Health