Gene therapy to cure leukemia at one-tenth global costs in the works

ImmunoACT, backed by Laurus Labs is testing their cancer product

ImmunoACT, an IIT-Bombay spin-off backed by Hyderabad-based Laurus Labs, is testing a new gene-therapy treatment for cancer, which they claim would not only cure the disease, but also costs one-tenth of the global price.

“We are working with CD19 CAR T Cell for leukemia and lymphoma. What we do is we take out some blood and plasma from the cancer patient, and then isolate the T-cells (which are immune cells) from this sample. These cells are then genetically modified so that they eliminate cancer cells. Then this is transfused back to the patient,” explains Rahul Purwar, founder and chairman of ImmunoACT.