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BENGALURU – Immuneel Therapeutics, a Bengaluru-based cell and gene therapy startup, has launched Qartemi, India’s first indigenously developed CAR T-cell therapy for adults with B-cell Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (B-NHL). This breakthrough offers a potentially life-saving treatment at a significantly lower cost than similar therapies available in the United States.
B-NHL, a type of blood cancer affecting the lymphatic system’s B cells, is the most common form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma in India, accounting for 80-85% of cases. Qartemi, approved by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), provides a personalized treatment for patients with relapsed or refractory B-NHL, meaning the cancer has returned after treatment or has not responded to initial therapies. The therapy also holds a license from Spain’s Hospital Clinic de Barcelona (HCB), a leading institution in cell therapy innovation.
Developed in Bengaluru, Qartemi (varnimcabtagene autoleucel – IMN-003A) uses a patient’s own immune cells, modified to target and eliminate cancer cells. This approach offers renewed hope for patients with aggressive blood cancers, potentially providing lasting remission even when conventional treatments like chemotherapy fail. Crucially, Immuneel has priced Qartemi at approximately one-tenth the cost of comparable CAR T-cell therapies in the US, making it far more accessible to Indian patients.
“Since Immuneel’s inception in 2019, our mission has been to offer affordable and innovative, lifesaving therapies for cancer that are otherwise inaccessible,” said Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Board Director & Co-Founder of Immuneel Therapeutics. “With Qartemi, our flagship CAR T-cell therapy, we aim to transform cancer treatment in India by providing globally advanced, personalized therapies at an affordable cost.”
Immuneel began trials for India’s first CAR T-cell therapy in 2022, focusing on a novel autologous CD19-directed CAR-T cell therapy for patients with relapsed/refractory B cell malignancies. The trials were conducted at various hospitals, including PGIMER in Chandigarh and others in Bengaluru and Chennai.
This CD19-directed immunotherapy involves genetically modifying a patient’s T-cells to specifically target and destroy cancer cells. Clinical trial data from India and Spain indicates that Qartemi’s safety and efficacy are comparable to CAR T-cell therapies already approved by the USFDA.
“The launch of Qartemi marks a pivotal moment in India’s fight against cancer,” stated Dr. Siddhartha Mukherjee, Board Director & Co-Founder of Immuneel Therapeutics. “By combining world-class research CAR-T cell therapy with indigenous manufacturing, we are offering new hope to patients facing aggressive blood cancers.”
