First Commercial Indigenous CAR-T Cell Therapy Declared Successful

• 07 Feb 2024

India recently celebrated a breakthrough in cancer treatment as Dr. (Col) V K Gupta became the inaugural patient to be declared cancer-free following the administration of the indigenous CAR-T cell therapy at Mumbai's Tata Memorial Hospital.

Key Points

• Pioneering Treatment: Developed collaboratively by ImmunoAct, IIT Bombay, and Tata Memorial Hospital, NexCAR19, the CAR-T Cell therapy offers a revolutionary approach to combatting cancer by genetically reprogramming the patient's immune system.
• Commercial Availability: With India's drug regulator granting approval for commercial use in October 2023, CAR-T Cell therapy is now accessible to patients across the country.
• Its commercial approval opens avenues for treating patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell lymphomas.
• Positive Results: The Patient’s remission marks a significant milestone in cancer treatment, highlighting the therapy's effectiveness in battling B-cell cancers like leukaemia and lymphoma. The therapy has showcased promising outcomes, with all patients achieving complete cancer remission.
• Tailored Immunotherapy: CAR-T cell therapy involves modifying the patient's T-cells to express chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) specific to cancer cells.
• These engineered cells are then infused back into the patient, targeting and attacking cancer cells with precision.
• Regulatory Approval: ImmunoACT's CAR-T cell therapy marks a milestone as the first of its kind to receive approval from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) for commercial use. This achievement paves the way for further advancements in cancer treatment in India.