Written By: Prerna Mittra | Updated : April 10, 2024 4:38 PM IST
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"What is new about the therapy being launched today, as I understand it, is that it costs 90 per cent less than what is available elsewhere," said the President. (Photo: X/@rashtrapatibhvn)
In a revolutionary move, the President of India, Droupadi Murmu, launched India's first 'home-grown gene therapy' for cancer at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay on April 4, 2024. According to a press release, the President said the accessible and affordable CAR-T cell therapy 'provides a new hope for the whole of humankind'. She also called it a 'major breakthrough' in India's battle against cancer and said she was confident it would be successful in giving new lives to countless patients. "This is a praiseworthy example of academia-industry partnership, which should inspire many more similar efforts," a tweet shared on the official 'X' handle of the President read.
President Droupadi Murmu launched India's first home-grown gene therapy for cancer at IIT Bombay. The President said that as CAR-T cell therapy is accessible and affordable it provides a new hope for the whole of humankind. This is a praiseworthy example of academia-industry pic.twitter.com/uUANzOYFqy
President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) April 4, 2024
"CAR-T cell therapy or chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy is a form of immunotherapy and gene therapy. It requires complex genetic engineering to modify the patient's immune cells, especially T cells, and make them fight cancer. CAR-T cell therapy is considered one of the most phenomenal advances in medical science. It has been available in the developed nations for some time, but it is extremely costly and beyond the reach of most patients around the world. What is new about the therapy being launched today, as I understand it, is that it costs 90 per cent less than what is available elsewhere. I am told this is the world's most affordable CAR-T cell therapy," Murmu said.
"Moreover, it is also an example of the 'Make in India' initiative; a shining example of the 'Atmanirbhar Bharat'," she added.
India's first CAR-T cell therapy, NexCAR19, is developed through collaboration between the IIT Bombay and Tata Memorial Hospital, in association with industry partner ImmunoACT, which is a start-up of two students, Alka Dwivedi and Atharva Karulkar, and professor Rahul Purwar, department of bio-sciences and bio-engineering of IIT Bombay. "Their vision and the hard work they put in to actualise that vision are commendable," said the President in her speech.
Murmu said that when she learned about the new therapy being launched, she was 'pleasantly surprised', because, IIT Bombay is 'renowned, not only in India but across the world, as a model of technology education'. "Here, in this case, technology is not only being put in the service of humanity, but partnerships have been with an eminent institution from another field as well as with industry. This has been made possible by the focus IIT Bombay has placed on research and development over the last three decades."
Commenting on this development, Dr Chanchal Sharma, the director of Aasha Ayurveda, said nucleic acid transfer into the tumour or normal cells is known as cancer gene therapy. "Its goals include direct cell death, immunomodulation, or repairing genetic mistakes to reverse the cancerous condition. It is also possible to introduce genes into healthy tissues to boost resistance to standard cancer therapies," she told TheHealthsite.com.
The doctor added that Indian medical science has proved its excellence once again. "India is the most populous country where people of low income also reside; high medical expenses are unbearable for them. This invention has made us rewrite the glorious history of Indian medical science under the 'Make in India' initiative. According to scientists, the development of gene therapy for cancer cells at this cost has been a boon to the country and will inspire many young researchers to invent more gene therapy for other diseases."
