India Pharma Outlook Team | Monday, 25 May 2026
Immuneel Therapeutics CAR T-cell therapy has shown two-year remission in patients with aggressive blood cancer, marking a notable clinical achievement and reinforcing the durability of locally developed advanced cell therapy in India.
The milestone provides early and meaningful evidence on the durability of outcomes from locally developed CAR T-cell therapies, an area where India has historically relied on high-cost global treatments with limited access.
The therapy, Varnimcabtagene autoleucel (IMN-003A), is being evaluated under Immuneel’s IMAGINE Phase II clinical trial in adult patients with relapsed or refractory CD19-positive B-cell Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (B-NHL). This category of lymphoma is among the most aggressive, with a significant proportion of patients failing to respond to standard lines of treatment.
According to data shared by the company, the therapy demonstrated an overall response rate (ORR) of 83 percent at Day 90 and 50 percent at Day 365. The complete response rate was reported at 83 percent, placing the outcomes among the stronger results observed in Indian CAR T-cell clinical settings.
Going beyond controlled trial settings, the therapy has now been distributed to more than 100 patients across India. Clinicians involved in CAR T-cell programs remark that consistency in outcomes and safety profile at this scale is a critical marker as therapies move from trial environments into broader clinical use.
The data has been presented across more than 22 global scientific forums and publications, including an original research article in Blood: Immunology & Cellular Therapy, adding a layer of external validation and peer visibility.
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CAR T-cell therapy is widely known as a breakthrough in oncology, particularly for blood cancers that relapse after traditional treatment. However, global therapies often remain to be out of reach for most Indian patients due to high costs, complex manufacturing processes, and infrastructure constraints.
Immuneel’s program is part of a broader shift toward domestic development and delivery of advanced cell and gene therapies, aimed at improving accessibility without compromising clinical standards.
Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Board Director and Co-founder, Immuneel Therapeutics, said, "The long-term remission data reinforces the company’s founding objective of building accessible, high-quality cancer therapies within India. She noted that sustained remission beyond two years in multiple patients signals the potential for globally benchmarked innovation emerging from India."
Amit Mookim, Board Director & CEO, Immuneel Therapeutics, added, "The two-year progression-free survival threshold in multiple patients represents an important clinical and strategic milestone. He emphasized that the focus now remains on expanding access, strengthening delivery capabilities, and advancing next-generation cancer care."
The development comes at a time when India is gradually building capabilities in advanced biologics and personalized medicine. Industry experts point out that while early results are promising, longer follow-up data, larger patient cohorts, and continued regulatory scrutiny will be key to establishing long-term efficacy and safety benchmarks.
If sustained, such outcomes could mark a turning point in how advanced oncology treatments are developed, priced, and delivered in India, particularly for patients who have exhausted conventional treatment options.
Immuneel Therapeutics is an India-based cell therapy company focused on developing and delivering affordable CAR T-cell treatments, aiming to expand access to advanced cancer care through locally built innovation and manufacturing.
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