Indigenous CAR-T Therapy Achieves 90% Remission in Relapsed Leukaemia Trial

Interim results from the institute's Phase I/II trial of an indigenously manufactured anti-CD19 CAR-T cell therapy have demonstrated a 90% complete remission rate among 40 patients with relapsed or refractory acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. The treatment, produced entirely within the institute's GMP facility, costs approximately 25,000 USD per patient — less than one-tenth of comparable international therapies.

The CAR-T cells were manufactured using a semi-automated closed-system process developed in-house, with a median vein-to-vein time of just 14 days. Grade 3 or higher cytokine release syndrome occurred in only 12% of patients, comparing favourably with global benchmarks.

These results position the institute as a leader in making cell-based immunotherapies accessible to patients across South Asia and the developing world.