India Pharma Outlook Team | Friday, 16 October 2026
CAR-T cell therapy is emerging as a focus of Mankind Pharma's innovation strategy as the company moves into advanced cancer treatment through a proposed Rs 511 crore investment in Belgium-based Armed Cell Therapeutics (ACTx).
The deal will give Mankind a 70 percent stake in the biotechnology company for EUR 48 million.
The acquisition adds to the company’s innovative medicine portfolio and also gives it access to experimental cancer therapy that enhances the immune cells' ability to fight cancer.
ACTx's research focuses on non-Hodgkin lymphoma and small cell lung cancer, with approaches intended to improve treatment durability and address resistance.
However, its two lead programs are still preparing for first-in-human studies, meaning clinical testing has not yet begun.
CAR-T cell therapy involves modifying a patient's T cells to recognize and attack cancer cells.
Although the approach has transformed treatment for certain blood cancers, challenges remain, including relapse and the difficulty of targeting solid tumours.
ACTx is developing next-generation CAR-T cell therapy candidates that use added biological components called payloads, which enable engineered T cells to remain active even inside hostile tumour environments.
Its research focuses on:
These approaches remain experimental. Their ability to improve patient outcomes will need to be established through clinical studies.
Also Read: Why Clinical Evidence Matters More in MedTech Commercialization
The development stage is a key consideration in assessing what Mankind is acquiring.
According to ACTx's pipeline disclosures, both lead programs are preparing for first-in-human studies, which have not yet started.
The company identifies its lead candidates as:
ACTx is also pursuing additional multi-targeting CAR-T programs, although details of these candidates have not been disclosed.
The next turning point will include advancing the lead candidates towards human testing and establishing their safety and potential efficacy.
Clinical development, regulatory review and manufacturing requirements will remain important steps before any treatment can reach the market.
Arjun Juneja, Chief Operating Officer of Mankind Pharma, said innovation would be a defining growth engine for the company and described the investment as the first step towards building a global pipeline of breakthrough therapies.
Paul Stoffels, Chairman of ACTx's board, said next-generation CAR-T therapies could reach more patients if they became more powerful and durable.
The transaction therefore gives Mankind exposure to an emerging area of cancer research, but its commercial value will depend on the progress of the acquired pipeline.
For now, the investment represents a commitment to early-stage biotechnology development rather than access to commercially available new cancer treatments.
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