Nepal begins CAR T-cell therapy for cancer patients
Summary
Nepal has begun CAR T-cell therapy using locally manufactured genetically engineered cells, treating a 20-year-old woman with relapsed acute lymphoblastic leukaemia at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital. Doctors say the breakthrough could expand advanced cancer care in Nepal and reduce the need for patients to seek expensive treatment abroad.
Key Points
- A 20-year-old woman with relapsed acute lymphoblastic leukaemia received Nepal’s first locally manufactured CAR T-cell therapy at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital.
- The patient’s cells were engineered by Centre for Regenerative Medicine Nepal and the treatment targets CD19 on certain blood cancer cells.
- Doctors say the therapy is a major milestone in advanced cancer care and may be offered to more patients in Nepal soon.
- The treatment could reduce the financial burden on patients who otherwise travel abroad for costly CAR T-cell therapy.
