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Qartemi: India's Affordable CAR-T Cell Therapy for Blood Cancer

by Swethapriya Sampath on Jan 30 2025 2:57 PM
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India introduces Qartemi, a cost-effective CAR-T cell therapy for B-cell Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma, offering new hope with an 83.3% success rate.

Qartemi: India`s Affordable CAR-T Cell Therapy for Blood Cancer
India introduces a new CAR-T cell therapy to treat B-cell Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (B-NHL). NHL is a type of blood cancer that affects B-cells.
This new treatment approach is called Qartemi developed by Immuneel Therapeutics, a Bengaluru-based biotech company.


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What Makes Qartemi Special?

Unlike regular chemical-based drugs, Qartemi is a "living drug" made from the patient’s cells. The cells are taken from the patient and are genetically modified to strengthen their immune response. It is then reintroduced into the patient’s body which targets and destroys the cancer cells.

Qartemi is a personalized Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy tailored to each patient’s condition. India reports around 1.2 lakh new blood cancer cases every year, with over 70,000 deaths. Patients with aggressive forms of B-NHL are unable to get proper treatment and cure.

Traditional treatments like chemotherapy and radiation often fail in cases of refractory blood cancer. However, Qartemi provides a new chance at survival.


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Qartemi Clinical Trials in India

Qartemi was tested in leading hospitals like Narayana Health (Bengaluru), Apollo Cancer Hospital (Chennai), and PGIMER (Chandigarh) under the clinical trial program "IMAGINE." The results were promising, showing an 83.3% success rate in treating patients.

The Indian government also supported this research through BIRAC (Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council). CAR-T therapy is an expensive treatment, costing up to ₹3-5 crore. But Qartemi is priced between ₹35-50 lakh, making it much more affordable for Indian patients.


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Where Can Patients Get Qartemi?

This revolutionary therapy is now available in top hospitals across India, including:
  • Narayana Health
  • Apollo Hospitals
  • CMC Vellore & Ludhiana
  • Manipal Hospitals
  • Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute, Delhi
  • SGPGI, Lucknow
  • Amrita Hospital, Faridabad
Qartemi was developed with expertise from Hospital Cl­ínic de Barcelona, a world-renowned institution in cancer treatment. This marks India’s first international CAR-T cell therapy, showing that India is at the forefront of advanced cancer treatments. With Qartemi now available, thousands of blood cancer patients in India have new hope.



Source-Medindia


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