Cipla partners with ImmunoACT to launch anti-CD19 CAR-T cell therapy for blood cancers in Africa
3 min read
Cipla Limited, through its subsidiary Medpro Pharmaceutica, has entered into an exclusive licence and supply agreement with Immunoadoptive Cell Therapy Private Limited (ImmunoACT).
Under this partnership, Cipla will commercialise talicabtagene autoleucel, India’s first indigenously developed CAR-T cell therapy*, in the Republic of South Africa, Algeria and Morocco.
Talicabtagene autoleucel (the product) is an autologous (of a patient’s own blood sample) anti-CD19 CAR-T indicated for the treatment of patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia who have failed standard lines of therapy.
Administered to more than 500 patients in India, the therapy has demonstrated high-efficacy, durable responses and a well-tolerated safety profile, leading to reduced ancillary healthcare costs.
As part of this collaboration, ImmunoACT will manufacture the product and Cipla will commercialise in the licensed African territories, thereby expanding access of this revolutionary new treatment to markets currently with unmet needs.
Commenting on the partnership, Achin Gupta, managing director and global CEO designate at Cipla Limited, says: “Our collaboration with ImmunoACT reinforces Cipla’s vision of leveraging cutting-edge science to deliver transformative and affordable treatments, especially for patients with critical healthcare needs. By introducing CAR-T therapy in Africa, we aim to bring world-class innovation closer to patients and strengthen our commitment to accessible healthcare in the region.”
Paul Miller (pictured), CEO of Cipla Africa, adds: “We are proud to be at the forefront of efforts to bring CAR-T cell therapy to Africa. This collaboration not only advances our oncology portfolio but also reinforces Cipla’s mission of making next-generation therapies accessible to patients worldwide.”
Dr Rahul Purwar, ImmunoACT’s founder and chairperson, and a professor of the Indian Institute of Technology, notes: “Our mission has always been to innovate and make cell and gene therapies accessible and affordable, addressing the significant unmet medical needs across the globe. This strategic partnership with Cipla seeks to accelerate our endeavours – ensuring patients with B-cell cancers have a fighting chance at a durable remission, with our CAR-T platform.”
*CAR T-cell therapy is a groundbreaking form of immunotherapy that uses a patient’s own immune cells to fight the disease. Doctors collect immune cells (T cells) from the patient, reprogramme them to identify and destroy cancer cells, and then return them to the body – enabling a targeted and personalised approach to treatment.
