India's First CAR T-Cell Therapy Shows 73% Success in Blood Cancer Trials

According to clinical trial results published in The Lancet Haematology, a locally created CAR T-cell immunotherapy has demonstrated a 73% response rate in patients with leukemia and lymphoma, marking a significant achievement for cancer therapy in India.  For patients with recurrent or resistant B-cell malignancies, the reasonably priced gene therapy developed by IIT Bombay and Tata Memorial Hospital gives new hope.

"The clinical trials of India's first gene therapy for cancer offer hopes of another chance to live among these patients, that there is one more drug that doctors can try," said Rahul Purwar, professor at IIT Bombay and founder of ImmunoACT.

Over the course of 11 years, the treatment, talicabtagene autoleucel, was created, moving from laboratory research to animal investigations and ultimately clinical trials. At $30,000, it is one of the most affordable CAR T-cell treatments on the market worldwide. This is because it is far less expensive than its international competitors, which range from $373,000 to $475,000.

64 patients received the drug in phase-1 and phase-2 clinical trials; 51 of these patients underwent examination, resulting in a 73% overall response rate. Neutropenia and thrombocytopenia are two known side effects, although the authors reported that the therapy's safety profile was satisfactory.

"This therapy addresses an important unmet need for patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell malignancies in India," the researchers wrote. With this historic development, India steps closer to affordable and accessible cancer treatment solutions.