Amrita Hospital, Faridabad, unveiled the first Centre of Excellence for CAR T-Cell Therapy in north India, reinforcing its commitment to offering cutting-edge cancer treatments to patients in the area National Capital Region. The centre is dedicated to administering CAR T- cell therapy, a groundbreaking immunotherapy (gene modified T-cells) designed to treat specific blood cancers, including B-cell Non-Hodgkin Lymphomas and Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. With only two commercially available CAR-T therapies in India to date, Amrita Hospital is among the pioneers in optimizing the delivery of these life-saving treatments. 

Currently, two CAR T-cell therapies are approved by drug controller in India: one developed by ImmunoACT, a spin-off from IIT-Bombay in collaboration with Tata Memorial Centre, and another from Immuneel Therapeutics. Several other CAR T-cell therapies are still undergoing clinical trials in India , like those for relapsed Myeloma. Much like in a few other countries, CAR T-cell therapy in India is primarily used for treating certain types of blood cancers, specifically B-cell Non-Hodgkin's Lymphomas and Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. 

Dr. Sanjeev Singh, Medical Director, Amrita Hospital, Faridabad said, “As an early adopter of CAR T-cell therapies, Amrita Hospital has played a pivotal role in optimizing the delivery and administration of these next-generation immunotherapies to patients. Expanding from the traditional options (after the failure of 1st line treatment) to stem cell transplant and then to CAR-Ts was an effort that was spearheaded by Amrita Hospital, Faridabad. With the experience and patient outcomes gained so far, Amrita Hospital's team stands as a leader in adopting such therapies.

Dr Prashant Mehta ,senior oncologist at Amrita Hospital Faridabad, was felicitated at the inauguration of centre of excellence by health secretary of India , Ms Punya Salila Srivastava early this month. He said, the launch of this centre of excellence will not only foster the better, faster, and scalable implementation of these CAR T-cell therapies but will also lead to a higher number of durable remissions for patients who enrol for treatment in the National Capital Region and Northern India. Furthermore, Amrita's capabilities in clinical and molecular research will be bolstered by the Center of Excellence to move beyond CAR-Ts for blood cancers, to solid tumours and autoimmune diseases.” 

Since the first commercial approval of a CAR T-cell therapy, NexCAR19, by the CDSCO in October 2023, more than 100 patients have received this treatment. The longest survivors from the early trials have remained in remission for over two years, highlighting the potential for durable remission through this innovative therapy. 

Swami Nijamritananda Puri, Administrative Director, Amrita Hospital, Faridabad said, “Till a couple of years ago, few would have predicted that India would emerge as a leader in affordable and accessible genetically modified cellular therapies. However, the introduction of therapies like CAR T-cell, always brings challenges due to their novelty. Guided by Amma's core principles of delivering innovative healthcare that is both affordable and accessible, Amrita Hospital, Faridabad is committed to expanding our success in advanced cancer treatments to include CAR-T therapies. Our vision is a future where no patient has to worry about accessing state-of-the-art care, and we are determined to lead this mission.” 

Innovation is crucial to advancing and adopting groundbreaking therapies, but it is rarely accomplished in isolation. Through strategic partnerships between pioneers in immunology and healthcare, we can make gene and cell therapies accessible to a broader population. While challenges remain, this Centre of Excellence stands as a beacon of hope and a vital stepping-stone toward elevating cancer care standards in India. With this initiative, patients no longer need to look beyond the country for world-class, cutting-edge cancer treatment.