First Ever Home-Grown Gene Therapy for Cancer Developed by IIT Bombay, Tata Memorial Centre

The President of India Droupadi Murmu launched nation's first home-grown anti-Cancer CAR-T cell therapy and dedicated it to the Nation in the presence of the Governor of Maharashtra, Ramesh Bais at the Indian Institute of Technology, (IIT) Bombay in Mumbai on April 4.

Also present on the occasion were Director, IIT Bombay, Prof. Subhasis Chaudhuri and Director, Tata Memorial Centre, Prof. Sudeep Gupta along with the key contributors including Prof. Rahul Purwar, Department of Bioscience and Bioengineering, IIT Bombay, and Dr. Hasmukh Jain and Dr. (Surg Cdr) Gaurav Narula from the Tata Memorial Centre, Mumbai.

Speaking on the occasion, the President said that the launch of India’s first gene therapy is a breakthrough in our battle against cancer. As this line of treatment, named “CAR-T cell therapy”, is accessible and affordable, it provides a new hope for the whole of humankind. She expressed confidence that it will be successful in giving new lives to countless patients.

The President also stated that CAR-T cell therapy is considered to be one of the most phenomenal advances in medical science. It has been available in the developed nations for some time, but it is extremely costly and beyond the reach of most patients around the world. She was happy to note that the therapy being launched is the world’s most affordable CAR-T cell therapy.

The President was happy to note that India’s first CAR-T cell therapy is developed through collaboration between the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay and Tata Memorial Hospital in association with industry partner ImmunoACT. She said that this is a praiseworthy example of academia-industry partnership, which should inspire many more similar efforts.

Addressing those present, Governor of Maharashtra Ramesh Bais congratulated the team of IIT Bombay, TMC and ImmunoACT for the outstanding achievement. He also commended the industry partners for their cooperation in this project. "It is an important day for the country, and especially in the history of IIT Mumbai and Tata Memorial Hospital. A wonderful initiative in the field of medical science is being launched today by both the top institutions of the country. We are not only launching a new cancer treatment system that can help in treating certain types of cancers, but also bringing before world a success story that is a solid step in the direction of realizing the goal of Vikasit Bharat," he said.

Along with other dignitaries, the programme was witnessed by IIT Bombay students, faculty members, the team from Tata Memorial Centre and ImmunoAct.