Bengaluru, Jun 18 (PTI) In a landmark development for cancer care in India and for Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell (CAR T) therapy, two patients in Bengaluru have completed three years of successful follow-up, one of the longest documented survivals in South India.
The patients were treated with CAR T therapy for relapsed follicular lymphoma.
In a press conference organised by Narayana Health on Wednesday, Dr Sharat Damodar, Chairman of the Oncology Collegium at Narayana Health, said these cases reflect the transformative potential of CAR T therapy for patients who have exhausted all other options.
Narayana Health had treated the two patients – a woman aged 66 and a man aged 43.
“With this therapy now approved by the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) and commercially available, Indian patients no longer need to look abroad for advanced treatment,” said Damodar, who is also a Senior Consultant, Haematologist and Head of Adult BMT at Narayana Health City, Bengaluru.
According to him, CAR T therapy is a cutting-edge immunotherapy and has become a beacon of hope for patients with relapsed or treatment-resistant lymphoma.
He also said India now produces CAR T therapy domestically, with two CDSCO-approved products—NEXCAR19 and QARTEMI—making this life-saving treatment more accessible and affordable. PTI JR ROH
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