BENGALURU: In a major milestone in Indian oncology care, Immuneel Therapeutics’ Made-In-India CAR T-cell therapy claims it has delivered the country’s first known long-term remission in patients with aggressive blood cancers.
Data from the IMAGINE Phase 2 clinical trial shows seven patients treated in 2022 for relapsed or refractory CD19-positive B-cell Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma have remained progression-free for over two years. This type of cancer is aggressive and often does not respond to standard treatment options.
The therapy, called Varnimcabtagene autoleucel (IMN-003A), recorded a response rate of 83 per cent at 90 days and 50 per cent at one year. A complete response was seen in 83 per cent of patients. Trial results showed no cases of severe neurotoxicity or the need for intensive care admission.
The trial was conducted at Narayana Health–Mazumdar Shaw Medical Centre in Bengaluru, Apollo Cancer Centre in Chennai, and the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research in Chandigarh. Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Board Director and Co-Founder, Immuneel Therapeutics, said, “ The fact that we now have long-term survivors treated with a Made-in-India CAR T therapy is a testament to the real, life-changing impact innovation can have on patients and their families. It reaffirms that innovation rooted in local context can deliver globally benchmarked outcomes.”