CAR-T cell therapy raising hopes for cancer patients, medical tourism

CAR-T therapy is seen to be on the verge of a breakthrough, raising hopes for both cancer patients as well as medical tourism. But can it become the first line of treatment?

At least 50 patients go for CAR-T treatment to China, which has more than 200 outfits working in this area, say industry insiders. In comparison, India has three players, and only one of them — ImmunoACT — has a CAR-T product available commercially.

But things could change.

Rahul Purwar, founder and chairman of ImmunoACT, says not many would have gone to China for treatment since the IIT Bombay spin-off, backed by Hyderabad-based Laurus Labs, started commercially offering CAR-T therapy (NexCAR19) in India last November.

“We are offering the treatment at $50,000 and their cost is around $200,000. So, India obviously