Novartis paused eight clinical trials in late August for an experimental chimeric antigen receptor T-cell, or CAR-T, therapy targeting autoimmune and neurological disorders after three patients died. The fatalities involved a severe immune response, which the company described as a known safety risk associated with CAR-T therapies. Novartis is conducting a comprehensive review, working with independent safety boards overseeing the studies and sharing information with regulators. Bristol-Myers Squibb also paused similar CAR-T trials in autoimmune disorders as a precaution, according to the Wall Street Journal. The timing of the deaths was not immediately clear, and Novartis shares fell 0.39%.