When Pradeep Singh was first diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in 2021, competitive cycling was the last thing on his mind. Now 27, the national-level cyclist recalls the months of chemotherapy and maintenance treatment that followed his diagnosis. For a time, the disease appeared under control. But in 2023, two years into remission, it returned.
His relapse led him to Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai, where doctors evaluated him for CAR-T cell therapy — an advanced form of immunotherapy that modifies a patient’s own immune cells to target cancer. Within a month of receiving the infusion of an indigenous CAR-T therapy, Pradeep began recovering strength. More than a year on now he remains in remission at the time of writing of this article, under ongoing medical follow-ups. He has resumed cycling, describing the experience as “a second chance”.
Doctors caution that outcomes vary significantly between patients and that long-term monitoring remains essential. CAR-T therapies can also carry serious risks and require specialised hospital care. Still, Pradeep’s story reflects a broader shift quietly taking place in India’s cancer landscape.
CAR-T therapy has been available globally for several years, but it has typically involved complex international logistics and very high costs. In India, ImmunoACT’s CAR-T therapy represents the first domestically developed and manufactured CAR-T treatments to enter the commercial setting. It also holds a US patent for a humanized CAR construct [source: industry experts], a design element intended to align with immunologic engineering principles seen in next-generation cellular therapies.
Unlike imported products, the therapy is produced entirely within India. There are currently over 90 active sites across India where cells can be collected and reinfused, supported by a localised manufacturing and logistics network. According to company disclosures, the turnaround time from cell collection to reinfusion is approximately 17 to 20 days. Industry observers note that manufacturing control and supply continuity are critical in cell and gene therapies, where timing and coordination can influence treatment pathways.
Since its introduction, ImmunoACT’s CAR-T therapy has been administered to more than 600 patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell malignancies, including certain leukemias and lymphomas [source: industry experts]. Published global studies of CD19-targeted CAR-T therapies have shown encouraging response rates in patients who have already received multiple prior treatments. The said indigenously developed CAR-T’s real world reported outcomes have been described as consistent with published global data in similar settings.
CAR-T therapy is not suitable for every patient. It is used only for certain types of blood cancers that have come back after treatment or have not responded to previous therapies, and it must be given in specialized hospitals that are fully equipped to monitor patients closely and manage possible complications, such as severe immune reactions and effects on the nervous system. For Pradeep, however, the treatment marked a turning point. He says he remains under regular medical supervision and understands the uncertainty that can accompany cancer recovery. But he is back on his bicycle, training cautiously and rebuilding endurance. “I don’t take a single day for granted now,” he says.
As India’s biomedical research ecosystem matures, stories like his are increasingly tied not just to medical resilience — but to the country’s growing capacity to develop complex therapies on its own soil. For patients facing relapse, that shift may prove as significant as the treatment itself.
The article is written for knowledge and educational purposes. The contents of the article refect the author’s personal views alone and has nothing do with the company, healthcare professionals, or healthcare organisations.
