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Source– This post on NexCAR19: India’s first indigenous CAR T-cell therapy is based on the article “President of India Launches India’s First Home-Grown Gene Therapy for Cancer” published in “PIB” on 4th April 2024.
Why in the News?
The President of India recently launched India’s first indigenous anti-cancer CAR-T cell therapy, NexCAR19, at IIT Bombay.
What is NexCAR19?
| Aspect | Details |
| About | It is India’s first indigenously-developed CAR-T cell therapy. |
| Developed by | IIT Bombay, Tata Memorial Centre and ImmunoACT |
| Purpose | Designed to target cancer cells carrying the CD19 protein. |
| Recommended for | People with B-cell lymphomas who didn’t respond to standard treatments like chemotherapy, leading to relapse or recurrence of the cancer. |
| Treatment Process | 1. Patient donates blood at a transfusion centre. The blood goes to the lab, where the T-cells are genetically modified. 2. In a week to 10 days, these cells return to the clinic for patient reinfusion. |
| Recovery | 1. Recovery typically occurs within two weeks after one cycle of the treatment. 2. In the study conducted, approximately 70% of patients respond to the treatment, with variations between leukemia and lymphoma cases. About 50% of these responsive patients achieve a complete response. |
| Significance | India is one of the first developing countries to have its indigenous CAR-T and gene therapy platform. |
What is ImmunoAct?
1. About– Founded in 2018 as a spin-off from IIT-Bombay, ImmunoACT leads the way in pioneering India’s development of its first indigenous Cell & Gene Therapy.
2. Mission– To ensure affordable access to innovative autologous CAR-T cell therapies.
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