India’s First Homegrown CAR T-Cell Therapy: A breakthrough cancer treatment

In India, cancer is rapidly becoming a much bigger public health problem than it once was. According to the most recent estimates, new cancer diagnoses in the country reached nearly 1.6 million in 2023, up from about 980,000 in 2010. And 800,000 people are estimated to die from cancer each year, a number that is expected to grow substantially in the coming decades.

CAR-T therapies, created by engineering apatient’s own cells to fight cancer, are typically reserved for people who have exhausted other treatment options.Known forgenetically reprogramming the immune system to combat cancer, India’s CAR-T cell therapy has demonstrated its efficacy with the remarkable recovery of Dr (Col) VK Gupta, a gastro enterologist based in Delhi. Dr.Gupta could access this therapy at a fraction of the cost compared to international alternatives which highlights its accessibility and potential impact on patients’ lives.

India is indeed making significant strides in the field of cancer treatment with the development ofaffordable CAR-T cell therapies. The country’s first homegrown CAR-T celltherapy, NexCAR19, has been approved and is expected to be a game-changer for patients with cancer. This innovative therapy was developed through acollaboration between the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay and theTata Memorial Centre in Mumbai.

The therapy,actaly cabtageneautoleucel (NexCAR19), has shown promising results in clinical trials, with a notable decrease in cancer extent and impressive response ratesin patients with advanced lymphoma or leukaemia. The affordability of NexCAR19 is particularly noteworthy, as it is being offered at approximately one-tenthof the price compared to international rates, making it accessible to a larger population.

This development not only represents a breakthrough in cancer care but also showcases India’s potential to become a hub for affordable and innovative medical treatments. The success of NexCAR19 could pave the way for further advancements in gene-based therapies and position India as a leader in the global healthcare sector.

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