Centre funds gene therapy pioneer ImmunoAct to make cancer treatment more affordable

New Delhi, Nov 5 (PTI) The government on Wednesday said it has extended funding to gene therapy pioneer ImmunoAct to scale up gene delivery systems to make the cancer treatment more accessible and affordable for patients.

The Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy has emerged as a breakthrough in cancer treatment that uses a patient's own immune system to fight certain types of cancer.

Clinical trials conducted globally have shown promising results in end stage patients, especially in patients suffering from Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia.

ImmunoACT, a spin-off company of IIT Bombay, has brought NexCAR19, the world's first humanised CAR-T therapy, to the market.

"The Department of Biotechnology via the Biomanufacturing initiative under the BioE3 Policy gave funding to ImmunoAct for setting up a 200L GMP lentiviral vector and plasmid platforms to scale up the production and also to make this new therapeutic modality more affordable," an official statement said.

It said that lentiviral vector and plasmid platforms will likely incorporate advanced bioreactor technologies to facilitate high-density cell growth and continuous production and enable higher yields and better performance of lentiviral vectors.

The GMP grade gene delivery vector can help at least 1,000 patients per year for cell and gene therapy, the statement said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, at the Emerging Science, Technology and Innovation Conclave, listed CAR-T Cell therapy among India's three pathbreaking innovations alongside QSIP quantum security chip and 25-qubit QPU, India's first quantum computing chip.

NexCAR19, India's first living drug, has made gene therapies both affordable and accessible without compromising scientific rigour or patient safety, the statement said.

ImmunoACT received support from the BioNest initiative of the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), through funding, mentorship and resources. PTI SKU SKU KVK KVK