In 2011, while working as a bioinformatics consultant for a multinational firm in Bangalore, Abilesh M Gunasekar (29) had his eureka moment. He had been dabbling with a project on Personalised Cancer Therapy (PCT) for over four years, but nothing concrete had materialised. “It was only last year in October that I finally decided to work on it full-time and officially launched the startup in September this year,” says Gunasekar, founder and chief executive officer, LAB P53, a company that offers PCT.
In November last year, he incubated his startup LAB P53 with VIT University, Vellore, and started with a team of four other friends and invented India’s only PCT. “This is a first-of-its-kind cancer genomics startup in India and will help oncologists to select the best suitable treatment available for every patient by analysing the genomics of tumor. Why we are the only kind? Because hospitals usually test a single gene but we are testing all 23,000 plus genes in two tests,” says Gunasekar, a VIT University alumnus. LAB P53’s PCT analyses the whole human exome (functional part of genome) that is around 22,000 genes. Other gene testing companies in India analyse only one or two genes from their list of eight to 15 genes as prescribed by a physician. Cancer being the most complex genetic disease, single gene tests don’t show the required light on the treatment selection. Gunasekar explains, “For instance, when a patient is found with ‘A’ mutation, the physician prescribes X drug (tested drug for that type of mutation) but still the patient shows no improvement, because many patients with ‘A’ mutation might also have ‘B’ or ‘C’ mutation, which stops that drug from working. So for better treatment understanding the patient’s entire exome is must,” he says.
The startup which is being approached by several cancer institutes in Chennai, starts from the patient’s mutation listing and covers the required dosage and probable side effects on the treatment. Gunasekar says, “Other companies worldwide just stop by listing out the mutation and possible treatment based on it. Even though the patient is given the right treatment, without information on how their body will react to the medicine, it cannot be a complete personalised therapy. As no two people are same, their body requirements and responses will certainly not be same.”
Interestingly, LAB P53 provides the fastest turnaround time for PCT, which is between three and four weeks. “While the basic biopsy process to diagnose if the tumor is cancerous takes nearly three weeks. The projected cost of the two tests will be `1 lakh and `1.8 lakh. It will be conducted only on doctor’s recomendation,” he adds.
The concept also brings down the cost of the treatment drastically. Gunasekar says that this new therapy will help physicians pin point the problem areas as opposed to exploring all possible options individually. “Whereas in the present situation the physician has no option but to look for a suitable treatment by testing all possible treatments known to cure the patient, but it actually worsens the patient’s body and also costs them. PCT reduces the overall cost of the treatment to up to 50 per cent,” he says.
LAB P53, which has already started working with several hospitals, this weekend tied up with the Bengal Cancer Foundation that will be open to public by October 14, 2013. Gunasekar and his team members have also undertaken some research development studies with cancer institutes down south. “Genomics is the future of healthcare. And the fact that nobody has done it before in India makes it even more relevant now. Overall, LAB P53’s PCT is here to help physician treat their patients in a better way. All physicians want to save their patients, but they do not have these technologies to find out the best suitable treatment option even before they start treating their patients,” he says.