First patient to undergo CART-T Cell Therapy in India declared “Cancer Free”

In a latest development, the first patient to undergo CART-T Cell Therapy in India has been declared free of cancer. Earlier, the drug regulator in India CDSCO (Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation) had approved the commercial use of the CAR-T Cell Therapy in the country.

As reported by the Indian Express, the first Indian patient to undergo this therapy was Dr (Col) V K Gupta, a gastroenterologist based in Delhi. Gupta also has an experience of 28 years, working with the Indian Army. Dr Gupta underwent the procedure at the Tata Memorial Hospital.

What is more interesting about the CAR-T Cell cancer treatment in India is that it can be accessed at Rs 42 lakh while a similar therapy in foreign countries costs up to $4,80,000 (Rs 4 crore).

It is noteworthy mentioning that the therapy involves genetically reprogramming the immune system of a patient. This subsequently improves the immune system of the patient in fighting cancer.

From what reliable reports tell us, doctors at the Tata Memorial hospital said that Dr Gupta is “currently free of cancer cells.”

Dr Hasmukh Jain, Hemato Oncologist and Associate Professor at the ACTREC (Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer), was the one who performed the therapy on Dr Gupta. Dr Jain said that as of now, it is still premature to confirm the success rate of the process. However, the initial reports suggest increase in survival chances and “lower remission rates” for early cancer stages.

Dr Jain also stated that it will take years of tests and data to identify the chances of return of the disease.

The CAR T Cell therapu, NexCAR19, was developed by ImmunoACT. The ImmunoACT is a company formed at IIT-Bombay and Tata Memorial Hospital. The major focus of this therapy is to treat B-cell cancers like leukaemia and lymphoma.

Back in October 2023, the CDSCO approved the commercial use of the therapy in the country. As of today, the CAR-T Cell therapy is available in over 30 hospitals across 10 different cities in India. It is also noteworthy mentioning that patients with B-cell cancer, aged over 15, are eligible for this therapy.