The term ImmunoACT refers to Immunoadoptive Cell Therapy Private Limited, a pioneering cell and gene therapy company in India. It is an institution/concept centered on developing affordable, indigenous cancer treatments. ImmunoACT was founded in 2018 as a spin-off from the Biosciences & Bioengineering department at IIT Bombay, with research dating back to 2013. The company was created to solve the problem of the extremely high cost of imported advanced cancer immunotherapies, aiming to make life-saving treatments accessible and affordable in India.
ImmunoACT’s key product is NexCAR19 (actalycabtagene autoleucel), which is India's first indigenous Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy. The CAR-T therapy mechanism involves extracting a patient's own immune T-cells, genetically modifying them to express a CD19-targeted receptor, and then infusing the re-engineered cells back into the patient to recognize and destroy cancer cells. NexCAR19 is indicated for the treatment of relapsed/refractory (r/r) B-cell lymphomas and leukemia.
The therapy received marketing authorization approval from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) in October 2023. This development is the culmination of a decade-long collaborative effort between IIT Bombay and the Tata Memorial Centre (TMC). It connects to the broader national push for indigenous biotechnology, supported by bodies like the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC). The therapy was officially launched in April 2024. Its initial cost of ₹42 lakh per dose has recently decreased to around ₹30 lakh, making it approximately one-tenth the price of similar therapies available in the US and Europe.