Mumbai: President Droupadi Murmu launched the country’s first indigenously-developed CAR T-cell therapy for cancer treatment at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay on Thursday. Maharashtra Governor Ramesh Bais, Tata Memorial Centre Director Sudeep Gupta, IIT Bombay Director Subhasis Chaudhuri, and other dignitaries also attended the event. During the launch event President Murmu stated that the development of the therapy is an example of the ‘Make in India’ initiative.
She further said that the launch of the country’s first gene therapy is a breakthrough in the fight against cancer.
Notably, Professor Rahul Purwar along with his dedicated team from the Bio-sciences and Bio-engineering Department of IIT Bombay have joined forces with medical professionals at the Tata Memorial Centre in Mumbai. Their collaborative effort has resulted in the development of an innovative treatment known as NexCAR19 CAR-T therapy. The inception of this revolutionary therapy can be credited to ImmunoACT, a startup co-founded by Professor Purwar and his students.
After successful clinical trials, the treatment is now available for people.
“CAR-T cell therapy is considered to be one of the most phenomenal advances in medical science. It has been available in the developed nations for some time, but it is extremely costly, and beyond the reach of most patients around the world. What is new about the therapy being launched today, as I understand it, is that it costs 90 percent less than what is available elsewhere. This is the world’s most affordable CAR-T cell therapy. Moreover, it is also an example of the ‘Make in India’ initiative; a shining example of the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’,” President Murmu said.
IIT Bombay Director Prof Subhasis Chaudhuri termed it a milestone achievement for the country and for the cancer patients, stating that it places India on the global map of cell and gene therapy.
“This CAR-T Cell Therapy product will save many lives at much lower cost compared to the cost of such products available outside India. We hope that in years to come, our collaboration will lead to the development of other Cell and Gene Therapy products that will help our patients with various cancers,” Director of Tata Memorial Centre Dr. Sudeep Gupta said.
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