India has approved a new CAR-T cell therapy, Qartemi (varnimcabtagene autoleucel), developed by Immuneel Therapeutics for  treatment of adult B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-NHL). The therapy, which is priced between INR 3.5-5 million ($40,530-57,900), will be one of the world’s most affordable CAR-T treatments.

Originally developed by Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Qartemi is the first "academic" CAR-T therapy to achieve EMA PRIME status and offers a significant cost advantage compared to commercial CAR-T therapies, which typically cost over €89,000. It was granted exceptional authorization by the Spanish Medicines Agency in 2021 for the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) in patients older than 25.

Immuneel, co-founded by Biocon's Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw and oncologist Prof. Siddhartha Mukherjee, has worked to make the treatment more affordable, achieving a 90% reduction in costs. CEO Amit Mookim emphasized that their goal is to further optimize costs.

The company is partnering with top hospitals in India, including Apollo Hospitals, CMC Vellore, Manipal Hospitals, and others to make Qartemi available to patients. However, despite its lower cost, accessibility may be limited due to the lack of insurance coverage in India.

This marks the second CAR-T therapy developed in India, following ImmunoAct’s NexCAR19, which was approved by the CDSCO in 2023for the treatment of B-lymphomas and B-acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.