New Delhi, January 20 (IANS). Bengaluru-based cell and gene therapy startup Immunil Therapeutics on Monday launched the country’s first personalized and precise CAR T-cell therapy, named ‘Quartemi’. This therapy is for B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-NHL) in adults.
B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma is a type of blood cancer that affects B-cells in the body’s lymphatic system. About 80-85% of non-Hodgkin lymphoma cases in India are of this type.
‘Quartemi’ which has received approval from the Indian drug regulator CDSCO. This is an individualized therapy for adult patients whose cancer has come back frequently or who has not responded to other treatments, such as chemotherapy. It is also licensed by Hospital Clínic de Barcelona (HCB), Spain, a globally renowned institution at the forefront of cell therapy innovation.
This therapy modifies the patient’s immune cells and prepares them to destroy cancer cells. This technology developed in Bengaluru has the potential to provide long-term relief to patients.
According to the company, the price of Quartemi is ten times lower than a similar product available in the US. Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, co-founder of the company, said, “Our goal is to make cancer treatment affordable and accessible. Through Quartem, we are bringing advanced and personalized treatment to India, based on world-class technology.”
Immunil, launched in 2019, plans to trial India’s first CAR T cell therapy in 2022. The trial took place in PGIMER, Chandigarh, and several hospitals in Bengaluru and Chennai. In this technique, the patient’s T-cells are genetically modified to destroy cancer cells.
According to trials in India and Spain, the safety and effectiveness of Quertemy is similar to that of CAR T-cell therapies approved in the US.
Dr. Siddharth Mukherjee, Co-Founder of Immunil and renowned cancer expert, said, “The launch of Quartemi is a historic step in the fight against cancer in India. Through world-class research and indigenous manufacturing, we are providing new hope to blood cancer patients. Giving.”
–IANS
AS/
