After a deadly clinical trial, will immune therapies for cancer be a bust?

Immune therapies have been hailed as the future of cancer treatments, with new drugs racking up excellent clinical results by turning the body’s natural defenses on tumors.

But Thursday’s news that three patients died in a trial of one such treatment has surprised oncologists and biotech investors, casting doubts on what looked like a blockbuster new approach to fighting cancer.

Here’s a rundown on the fatal trial and what it means for the rest of the field.

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