Immuneel Therapeutics has launched Qartemi, India's first personalized CAR T-cell therapy for Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. The groundbreaking treatment harnesses a patient's immune cells to target and eliminate cancer cells. Priced significantly lower than international alternatives, it offers new hope for patients with aggressive blood cancers. The therapy represents a major advancement in accessible, innovative cancer treatment in India.
"With Qartemi, our flagship CAR T-cell therapy, we aim to transform cancer treatment in India" - Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw
New Delhi, Jan 20:
Bengaluru-based cell and gene therapy start-up Immuneel Therapeutics on Monday
announced the launch of Qartemi -- the country's first personalised and
precision therapy CAR T-cell therapy for treating B-cell Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
(B-NHL) in adults.
Key Points
1. Revolutionary personalized therapy targeting
B-cell Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
2. Priced at one-tenth cost of similar US treatments
3. Indigenously developed with global clinical
validation
4. Offers hope for patients with aggressive blood cancers
B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-NHL) is a type of blood
cancer that affects the B cells in the lymphatic system. B-NHL is the most common
type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) in India, accounting for 80-85 per cent of
all cases.
Qartemi, approved by the Indian regulator the Central
Drugs Standard Control Organisation(CDSCO), provides a personalised therapy for
adult patients with relapsed or refractory B-NHL. It has also received license
from Spain's Hospital Clinic de Barcelona (HCB), a globally renowned
institution at the forefront of cell therapy innovation.
Developed indigenously in Bengaluru, Qartemi
(varnimcabtagene autoleucel - IMN-003A) harnesses a patient's immune cells to
target and eliminate cancer, offering new hope to those battling aggressive
blood cancers. It has shown a potential to provide lasting remission of
relapsed and refractory NHL, even when conventional therapies including
chemotherapy prove ineffective.
Notably, it is priced at one-tenth the cost of a
similar product in the US, the company said.
"Since Immuneel's inception in 2019, our mission
has been to offer affordable and innovative, lifesaving therapies for cancer
that are otherwise inaccessible," Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Board Director
& Co-Founder, Immuneel Therapeutics.
"With Qartemi, our flagship CAR T-cell therapy,
we aim to transform cancer treatment in India by providing globally advanced,
personalised therapies at an affordable cost," added Mazumdar-Shaw.
Immuneel, launched in 2019, initiated the trial on
India's first CAR T-cell therapy trial in 2022 for a novel autologous
CD19-directed CAR-T cell therapy in patients with relapsed / refractory B cell
malignancies. The trial was conducted across various hospitals including PGIMER
in Chandigarh, and others in Bengaluru, and Chennai.
The CD19-directed, genetically modified autologous
chimeric antigen receptor T-cell immunotherapy involves modifying a patient's T-cells
to specifically target and destroy cancer cells. Data from clinical trials in
India and Spain show that the safety and efficacy of Qartemi is similar to that
of CAR T-cell therapies approved by the USFDA.
"The launch of Qartemi marks a pivotal moment in
India's fight against cancer. By combining world-class research CAR-T cell
therapy with indigenous manufacturing, we are offering new hope to patients
facing aggressive blood cancers," said Dr. Siddhartha Mukherjee, Board
Director & Co-Founder, Immuneel Therapeutics.
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