India’s own CAR-T cell therapy- NexCAR19

• What It Is: Revolutionary cancer treatment modifying T-cells (immune cells) into powerful cancer fighters known as CAR-T cells.
• Function: Genetically engineered T-cells aggressively target and destroy cancer cells, mainly beneficial in blood cancers like leukemia and lymphomas.

NexCAR19 – India’s Indigenous CAR-T Therapy

• Developer: ImmunoACT which is a company  incubated at IIT Bombay.
• Significance: Positions India among the first developing nations with its own CAR-T and gene therapy platform.

Eligibility and Treatment Process

• Intended Patients: Those with B-cell lymphomas unresponsive to standard treatments (e.g., chemotherapy).
• Procedure: Patient donates blood; T-cells are modified in the lab and reinfused after 7-10 days. Recovery usually occurs within two weeks.

Effectiveness and Safety

• Comparison with International Therapies: Shows lower drug-related toxicities and minimal neurotoxicity and Cytokine Release Syndrome (CRS).
• Response Rate: About 70% of patients respond; around 50% achieve complete response.

Key Challenges:

• Affordability: High cost may limit accessibility; efforts are ongoing to decrease the price.
• Regulatory Approvals: Awaiting final government and manufacturing approvals.

Why In News:

• The government  has granted market authorisation to India’s breakthrough CAR-T cell therapy.