India's Car-T cell therapy achieves 73% cancer success rate

Researchers in India have announced the success of NexCAR19, the country's first indigenous CAR-T cell therapy for cancer treatment. The therapy was developed by scientists from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay and Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai. It received approval from India's drug regulator over a year ago. NexCAR19 shows a 73% success rate in patients with B-cell leukemia and lymphoma, two challenging forms of blood cancer. CAR-T cell therapy works by modifying a patient's own immune cells, called T cells, to attack cancer cells. The treatment involves extracting these cells from the patient, modifying them to recognize cancer cells, and then reintroducing them into the bloodstream. The study's findings were published in The Lancet Haematology. The research revealed that the therapy remained effective in a group of 51 patients, all of whom were either resistant to previous treatments or had relapsed. While there were some side effects, including low white blood cell and platelet counts, researchers concluded that the therapy is safe. One of the significant advantages of NexCAR19 is its affordability. In the United States, similar therapies can cost up to $4.75 million. In contrast, the Indian version is available for about $30,000, making it accessible to more patients in low- and middle-income countries. The NexCAR19 therapy took over a decade to develop and has now opened up new treatment possibilities for patients who had few options before. Future studies are planned to test the therapy in earlier stages of cancer and in combination with other treatments to enhance its effectiveness. This new breakthrough offers hope to many facing aggressive blood cancers in India.