Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T cell therapy has been one of the most closely watched advances in oncology in recent years. By reprogramming a patient’s own immune cells to recognize and attack cancer, CAR-T cell therapies have delivered durable responses in patients with certain blood cancers, including those who had exhausted other treatment options.
Multiple CAR-T cell therapies are approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), such as Bristol Myers Squibb’s Abecma (idecabtagene vicleucel) and Breyanzi (lisocabtagene maraleucel), Gilead Sciences’ Tecartus (brexucabtagene autoleucel), and Yescarta (axicabtagene ciloleucel), Johnson and Johnson’s Carvykti (ciltacabtagene autoleucel), and Novartis’ Kymriah (tisagenlecleucel).
However, the promise of these therapies has been overshadowed by their cost. In markets such as the United States and Europe, CAR-T cell treatment prices can range from about $400,000 to as much as $1,000,000 per patient. For countries like India, where cancer incidence is rising but health spending per capita remains comparatively low, such pricing has placed CAR-T cell therapy far out of reach for most patients.
Against this backdrop, Vector BioMed, a US-based biotech company spun out of the non-profit Caring Cross, has partnered with Muni Seva Ashram’s Kailash Cancer Hospital and Research Center (KCHRC) in Gujarat (India). Their goal is to deliver CAR-T therapy in a way that is both clinically feasible and financially accessible.
The hospital is preparing to introduce CAR-T cell treatment using Vector BioMed’s LENTIVERSE platform. After more than a year of planning and facility development, the first patients are expected to receive therapy in 2026.
To understand the motivations behind the project, its technological approach, and the challenges of implementing CAR-T cell therapy manufacturing sites outside major urban centers, Drug and Device World spoke with Dr. Indraneel Ghosh, Country Manager for Vector BioMed in India.
Cost and Manufacturing Innovations
The central question for CAR-T in India remains cost. Manufacturing typically requires licensed technologies, proprietary processes, and specialized equipment, all of which add significantly to the price.
Dr. Ghosh notes that Vector BioMed’s LENTIVERSE platform is intended to address these issues. By streamlining vector production and cell processing, it increases the number of patient doses that can be manufactured within the same timeframe. He explains that while some closed systems in use globally allow only a handful of patients to be treated each month, the LENTIVERSE process can yield one patient dose per day.
Dr. Ghosh adds that avoiding high licensing fees further reduces costs. “The major expense is not the science itself but the licensing structures around it. By lowering those barriers and increasing process efficiency, the overall cost per patient can be brought down significantly.”
Preparing the Ground in Gujarat
Dr. Ghosh noted that Kailash Cancer Hospital, already experienced with advanced procedures such as bone marrow transplants and stem cell therapies, made the integration of CAR-T processes easier. A team of hematologists had prior familiarity with the clinical workflow, from cell collection to reinfusion.
Vector BioMed introduced an additional element: a proprietary method of T-cell isolation. According to Dr. Ghosh, unlike conventional positive-selection methods, which can stress immune cells, the team employs a negative selection approach that preserves T-cell functionality and long-term persistence. This not only reduces side effects like cytokine release syndrome (CRS) but also promises longer-lasting remission. This technique helps preserve immune cell function and may contribute to longer-lasting responses.
Combined with the possibility of bringing vector manufacturing to India itself, Dr. Ghosh believes this approach could make CAR-T not just accessible, but a preferred frontline therapy.
Infrastructure and Implementation
Building any facility is always a unique experience. Dr. Ghosh stated that building a Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) facility suitable for CAR-T manufacturing in rural Gujarat required adaptation. The hospital allocated a 1,800-square-foot space, which meant the facility had to be carefully designed to meet standards without relying on large, imported cleanroom units.
Environmental conditions also presented challenges, as per Dr. Ghosh. Extreme heat, monsoon humidity, and seasonal temperature fluctuations required additional measures to maintain consistency in the controlled manufacturing environment. Despite these constraints, the facility was completed with support from local partners and international collaborators.
Dr. Ghosh described the process as one of adjustment rather than obstacles: “It was about finding practical solutions within the realities of the site.”
Scaling Potential
The first patients are expected to receive therapy at Kailash Cancer Hospital in early 2026. Beyond Gujarat, Vector BioMed is exploring opportunities to expand the model to other regions in India as well as internationally.
Dr. Ghosh noted that discussions are already underway in countries such as Nepal, Thailand, Malaysia, and Brazil. A key element in scaling will be establishing vector manufacturing within India itself, rather than relying on imports from the U.S. This step, expected soon, is projected to further reduce costs and make the therapy more widely deployable.
Defining Outcomes
What would success look like for this project? For Dr. Ghosh, it comes down to patient outcomes over time. “The benchmark will be whether patients remain disease-free for many years, with manageable side effects. That’s the true measure of success.”
He acknowledged that while CAR-T has shown high response rates globally, relapse remains a concern. While India currently has only a single-target CAR-T, Dr. Ghosh noted that Vector BioMed has developed multi-target CAR-T to treat patients who have relapsed from single CAR-T treatments. Adding that multi-target CAR-T will be introduced to India with the hope that such innovations will expand treatment options and encourage wider adoption.
As India prepares for its first CAR-T program outside of major metros, the initiative reflects both scientific progress and a shift in thinking about access. While the model may not resolve every barrier to advanced therapies, it demonstrates how adjustments in process design, cost structures, and partnerships can create new entry points.
For Dr. Ghosh, the broader message is that innovation does not need to be confined to high-income settings. “India has the expertise, the patient population, and the infrastructure to adopt these therapies. The question is how to make them affordable and sustainable.”