India CAR-T cell therapy | Patient becomes ‘cancer-free’ with indigenous CAR-T cell therapy, know how this new experiment of India will rid the country of cancer

A few months ago, India’s drug regulator Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) approved the commercial use of CAR-T cell therapy. Therapy involves genetically reprogramming the patient’s immune system to fight the cancer. The therapy has become a lifesaver for many patients, including Delhi-based gastroenterologist Dr (Colonel) VK Gupta, who has 28 years of experience serving in the Indian Army, the Indian Express reports. He received the therapy by paying only Rs 42 lakh or $50,000, while similar therapy abroad costs up to Rs 4 crore 480,000.

What is CAR-T cell therapy?

CAR-T cell therapy is a type of immunotherapy that involves genetically engineering a patient’s T cells to attack cancer cells. T cells are a type of white blood cells that help the body fight infection. In CAR-T cell therapy, T cells are taken from the patient and modified in the laboratory to express a special protein called a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR). It is then re-infused into the patient as this CAR protein helps the T cells recognize and fight cancer cells.

India’s indigenous CAR-T cell therapy

In October 2023, India’s drug regulator, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO), approved the commercial use of NexCAR19, the first indigenously developed CAR-T cell therapy. NexCAR19 has been developed by ImmunoACT, a company based at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IITB) and Tata Memorial Hospital. It is designed to treat B-cell cancers such as leukemia and lymphoma. This therapy is now available in more than 30 hospitals in more than 10 cities in India. Patients above 15 years of age who are suffering from B-cell cancer are eligible for the treatment.

History of NexCAR19

Cancer has been a major public health concern and its burden is increasing in India. The latest projections suggest new cancer diagnoses in the country reaching nearly 1.6 million in 2023.

Despite the spread of cancer cases across the country, new cancer treatments have emerged. However, these treatments are still inaccessible. CAR-T cell therapy is a treatment that has serious side effects and is a highly expensive and inaccessible treatment for cancer.

In 2015, Dr. Alka Dwivedi and colleagues attempted to modify CAR-T cells to carry more human-like antibodies. He developed India’s indigenous CAR-T cell therapy called NexCAR19, which showed promising results for blood cancers such as leukemia and lymphoma.NexCAR19 is also available at a reasonable price and meets the needs of patients in India’s healthcare system.

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