Immuneel Therapeutics unveils Qartemi, a global CAR T-cell therapy for adult B-cell Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (B-NHL). A personalised therapy for adult patients with relapsed or refractory B-NHL, Immuneel, aims to address a critical gap in India’s cancer immunotherapy landscape. This therapy—benchmarked to global standards—is now available locally to patients for whom conventional therapies including chemotherapy prove ineffective.
India faces a rising burden of blood cancers, with around 120,000 new cases and over 70,000 deaths annually from leukemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma.
Speaking on this, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Board Director & Co-Founder, Immuneel Therapeutics said, “Since Immuneel’s inception in 2019, our mission has been to offer affordable and innovative, lifesaving therapies for cancer that are otherwise inaccessible. With Qartemi, our flagship CAR T-cell therapy, we aim to transform cancer treatment in India by providing globally advanced, personalised therapies at an affordable cost.”
Dr Siddhartha Mukherjee, Board Director & Co-Founder, Immuneel Therapeutics, said, “By combining world-class research CAR-T cell therapy with indigenous manufacturing, we are offering new hope to patients facing aggressive blood cancers.”
Amit Mookim, CEO, Immuneel Therapeutics, added, “By offering Qartemi at a significantly accessible price compared to global alternatives, we are proud to develop this therapy indigenously at our facility in Bangalore to ensure global standards of safety and efficacy. Collaborating with global partners to provide access to advanced treatments and cutting-edge therapies is the way forward”.
Clinical trial (IMAGINE) and Key Milestone Achieved
- Immuneel initiated India’s first CAR T cell therapy trial in 2022 for a novel autologous CD19 directed CAR-T cell therapy in patients with relapsed / refractory B cell malignancies
- The IMAGINE trial was conducted across Narayana Hospital in Bengaluru, Apollo Cancer Hospital in Chennai and PGIMER in Chandigarh
- The results from the IMAGINE trial showed that the efficacy and safety of Qartemi is similar to CAR T-cell therapies approved by the USFDA
Immuneel’s IMAGINE Phase 2 trial achieved 83.3 per cent ORR at Day+90, setting a new benchmark for CAR-T therapy in India
Qartemi, India’s first international CAR T-cell therapy, is approved for the treatment of adult non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). Licensed from Hospital Clínic de Barcelona (HCB), a globally renowned institution at the forefront of cell therapy innovation, Qartemi represents a milestone in personalized medicine. This therapy harnesses a patient’s immune cells to target and eliminate cancer, offering new hope to those battling aggressive blood cancers.
Immuneel has partnered with hospitals like Narayana Health, Apollo Hospitals, CMC Vellore and Ludhiana, Manipal Hospitals, RGCIRC Delhi, SGPGI Lucknow, Amrita Hospital Faridabad, HOC Vedanta Ahmedabad, Cytecare Bangalore, Sparsh Bangalore, Marengo Asia Hospitals among others, to provide Qartemi to their patients. CellSpectrum Immuneel’s comprehensive resource platform provides educational materials, clinical insights, and personalised tools to support patients and healthcare professionals (HCPs) in navigating Cell and Gene Therapies (CGTs). Through these collaborations, Immuneel aims to streamline advanced treatment delivery and enhance the care experience for all stakeholders.