Karnataka’s Cytecare Hospitals is making groundbreaking strides in cancer treatment with their pioneering CAR-T cell therapy. By engineering patients’ blood cells, they are able to create personalized cells that can detect and destroy cancer cells. This innovative therapy has already proven successful in curing six cancer patients at Apollo Cancer Centre in Chennai. With the approval of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation, CAR-T cell therapy is poised to revolutionize cancer treatment in India.
In a groundbreaking development in cancer treatment, the Apollo Cancer Centre in Chennai has successfully cured six cancer patients using CAR-T cell therapy. This innovative therapy involves genetically modifying T cells in the patient’s blood to create personalized cells that can detect and destroy cancer cells.
CAR-T cell therapy has been gaining traction in the medical field, and a dozen Indian hospitals adopted this treatment in 2022 when domestically developed CAR-T cells became available at a lower cost. The therapy received approval from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation in November 2023, further solidifying its place in the country’s healthcare system.
Trials for CAR-T cell therapy began at the Apollo Cancer Centre in November 2022, focusing on patients with lymphoma, myeloma, and acute leukemia. The results have been nothing short of remarkable, with all six patients, including a child, who had relapsed or failed previous treatments, being cured after receiving CAR-T modified cells.
One of the most significant advantages of CAR-T cell therapy is that the modified cells remain in the patient’s body and continue to attack cancer cells they encounter in the future. This offers a more durable and effective treatment option, giving patients hope for long-term remission.
However, it is essential to note that patients receiving this treatment require immunoglobulin replacement therapy to compensate for the destruction of some immune cells. This ensures that the patient’s immune system remains functional and can fight off other infections.
While the therapy is currently indicated for lymphomas, leukemias, and myelomas, there are promising results in treating solid tumors in the stomach and kidney. This opens up possibilities for expanding the use of CAR-T cell therapy to other types of cancers in the future.
Despite the risk of secondary blood cancers, CAR-T cell therapy has already received approval from the US-FDA. This is a significant step forward in acknowledging the potential of this groundbreaking treatment. The Apollo Cancer Centre hopes that insurance companies will now cover this therapy since it has been officially approved.
In another exciting development, Cytecare Hospitals in Bengaluru has partnered with ImmunoACT to offer CAR-T cell therapy for cancer patients. This collaboration will make Cytecare Hospitals the first hospital in Karnataka to provide CAR-T cell therapy outside of a clinical trial setting.
The therapy, called NexCAR19™, is approved for patients aged 15 and above with refractory or relapsing B-cell lymphoma and B-acute lymphoblastic leukemia. It utilizes a patient’s own modified T-cells to target and fight cancer cells, making it a personalized and effective treatment option.
NexCAR19™ is the first CAR-T cell therapy to receive market authorization in India, marking a significant milestone in the country’s healthcare landscape. The aim of the partnership between Cytecare Hospitals and ImmunoACT is to provide affordable access to innovative cancer treatments while maintaining high-quality standards.
CAR-T cell therapy involves modifying a patient’s T-cells with a viral vector to express Chimeric Antigen Receptors (CARs) that specifically target cancer biomarkers. By enhancing the natural ability of T-cells to fight cancer, CAR-T cell therapy has shown promising results in improving survival rates and quality of life for patients with B-cell malignancies.
The success of CAR-T cell therapy in curing cancer patients at the Apollo Cancer Centre and the introduction of NexCAR19™ by Cytecare Hospitals and ImmunoACT highlight the potential of this innovative treatment. It offers hope to cancer patients and paves the way for more advanced and effective therapies in the future.
