• Source:JND
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CAR-T Cell Therapy:  In a significant step in India's fight against cancer, the first indigenously-made and affordable gene therapy - CAR-T cell therapy - was unveiled at IIT Bombay on Thursday. President Draupadi Murmu launched the latest medical innovation which was developed by the IIT Bombay and Tata Memorial Hospital, in association with industry partner ImmunoACT.

While launching the therapy which is set to benefit millions of cancer patients around the country, President Murmu hailed it as a vibrant example of the spirit of 'Make in India' as embodied in the Atamnirbhar Bharat campaign. The head of state also said that this therapy would be successful in giving life to countless people.

"CAR-T cell therapy' has been developed via collaboration between the IIT Bombay and Tata Memorial Hospital, in association with industry partner ImmunoACT, which is "a praiseworthy example of academia-industry partnership," President Murmu said.

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Notably, the CAR-T cell treatment, although available in Western countries at very high prices was elusive to Indian patients before being developed indigenously by the IIT Bombay.

What is CAR-T cell therapy?

CAR-T cell therapy or chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy is a genetic engineering-based therapy. This new treatment involves the elements of both - immunotherapy and gene therapy. It involves a complex process of genetic modification of a patient's immune cells, especially T-cells, and makes them fight cancer.

"The development of this therapy in India over the past decade and its approval in October 2023 speaks volumes about the skills of Indian scientists and physicians," said President Murmu.

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Every year cancer claims millions of lives around the globe. In India, 14.6 lakh people succumbed to it in 2022, and the number is likely to rise to 15.7 lakh by 2025.

"The therapy being launched today is a major step -- in fact, a new milestone in the journey of healthcare innovation in India. It puts us on the global map of advanced medical care as well as on the elite list of countries, which have access to this most innovative technology platform," President Murmu emphasised.