Homegrown Biotech Boosts Affordable Next-Gen Cancer Drugs

India pharmaceutical industry is going next-generation cell and gene therapy decisively, inspiring cancer treatment accessibility at a lower cost. Last year landmark regulatory nods for two in-house CAR-T innovations one by ImmunoACT out of Mumbai and the other by Immuneel Therapeutics from Bengaluru have signaled India’s arrival in one of the most technically challenging areas of healthcare.

The price of such therapies, which involve the genetic modification of the patient’s immune system to attack the tumor, has been anywhere from ?30 to 50 lakh per patient, practically ruling out the vast majority of patients.

The Indian pharma and biotechnological companies are now making a tactical move by venturing into Cell and Gene Therapy Contract Research, Development, and Manufacturing (CRDMO). Bharat Biotech, the company which successfully indigenized the production of COVID-19 vaccine in India, has unveiled Nucelion, a focused unit for advanced cell and gene therapy CRDMO, after similar projects by Syngene, Laurus Labs, and Aragen.

According to the experts, local innovation and production can bring down the prices substantially while clinical timelines might also get shorter along with the possibility of local supervision. The NexCAR19 by ImmunoACT, which was achieved by collaboration with IIT Bombay and Laurus Labs, is a shining example of how high-quality, indigenously produced CAR-T therapy can be a game-changer in terms of cost, as compared to those in the West where the same treatment can be as expensive as $400,000 per patient.

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India’s cell and gene therapy market worth $1.65 billion by 2027, with a CAGR of 18.1%, alongside the support from BIRAC, ICMR, and other such agencies creates a perfect environment for local innovation to democratize the access of advanced therapeutic modalities.

This move by Bharat Biotech might be the first push that can set the scene for mass production of next-gen cancer and genetic disorder therapies in India at a price that patients can afford, thus making the treatments not only viable but also accessible.