UCLH Launches ALARIC Trial Evaluating CAR T-Cell Therapy for Relapsed or Refractory AL Amyloidosis

May 11, 2026-

A new UK clinical trial is evaluating CAR T-cell therapy as a potential treatment for patients with relapsed or refractory light chain amyloidosis, also known as AL amyloidosis. The ALARIC trial, developed within the UK Myeloma Research Alliance and supported by the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, aims to treat at least 12 patients at University College London Hospitals over the next two years, with an additional site expected to open shortly in Leeds.

AL amyloidosis is a rare but serious blood disorder affecting around 500 people in the UK each year. The disease occurs when abnormal plasma cells produce faulty light chain proteins that misfold and accumulate in tissues and organs. Over time, this amyloid buildup can cause organ damage and may become life-threatening. Current standard treatment typically involves chemotherapy, often given weekly for six months followed by maintenance therapy for up to 18 months. While chemotherapy can be effective, it is associated with significant side effects and may impose a substantial burden on patients’ quality of life.

For patients whose disease relapses or fails to respond to chemotherapy, treatment options remain extremely limited. CAR T-cell therapy offers a different approach by collecting a patient’s own T cells, genetically modifying them in the laboratory, and reinfusing them so they can recognize and destroy abnormal plasma cells. The therapy targets proteins such as BCMA, which are expressed on disease-driving plasma cells and have already been successfully targeted in multiple myeloma, a related plasma cell cancer.

The ALARIC trial is a Phase 1 study, with safety as the first priority. Researchers hope that by eliminating the abnormal plasma cells producing amyloid-forming proteins, CAR T-cell therapy may suppress the disease at its source and allow affected organs a better chance to recover. If successful, the approach could offer a one-time treatment option with the potential for deep and durable responses in patients who currently have limited alternatives.

The study is led by principal investigator Dr. Lydia Lee, consultant haematologist at UCLH, and chief investigator Professor Ashutosh Wechalekar, consultant haematologist at UCLH and the Royal Free London NHS Trust. The trial is sponsored by UCL and delivered through the Cancer Research UK and UCL Cancer Trials Centre, reflecting a cross-sector effort to advance non-commercial advanced therapy research in the UK.

One of the early patients treated in the study, Tim Wiberg, was diagnosed after persistent frothy urine led to investigations and a kidney biopsy confirming AL amyloidosis. After six months of chemotherapy produced only a partial response, he joined the ALARIC trial and received CAR T cells in March. He reported that after treatment, his lambda light chain levels became almost immeasurable, suggesting a strong early disease response.

While the trial is still at an early stage and broader safety and efficacy data are needed, ALARIC represents an important step in expanding CAR T-cell therapy beyond multiple myeloma and into other plasma cell disorders. For patients with relapsed or refractory AL amyloidosis, this study could help define whether targeted cellular therapy can provide a new path toward durable disease control and improved quality of life.