---
title: "NexCAR19: India's First CAR-T Cell Therapy | Model Diplomat"
description: "NexCAR19 is India's first indigenous CAR-T cell therapy, approved by CDSCO in 2023 for B-cell cancers at a fraction of Western costs—key for UPSC GS3."
url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/nexcar19"
---

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Model Diplomat Research Team · Last reviewed June 22, 2026

TL;DR

- NexCAR19 is India's first indigenously developed CAR-T cell therapy, approved in 2023 to treat relapsed or refractory B-cell lymphomas and leukaemias.
- Who developed NexCAR19 and what role did public institutions play?
- Why is NexCAR19 considered significant for India's bioeconomy?
- How does NexCAR19 differ from a monoclonal antibody like rituximab?
- What barriers limit wider access to NexCAR19 in India?

[Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services/glossary)Updated June 22, 2026

NexCAR19 is India's first indigenously developed CAR-T cell therapy, approved in 2023 to treat relapsed or refractory B-cell lymphomas and leukaemias.

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## Positions at a glance

### Supporters

NexCAR19 is India's first indigenously designed and manufactured chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy, a form of personalised cellular immunotherapy for certain blood cancers. It was developed through a collaboration between the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay), Tata Memorial Hospital (part of the Tata Memorial Centre), and the start-up ImmunoACT, a company incubated at IIT Bombay. The therapy received market authorisation from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), India's apex drug regulator under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act 1940, in October 2023. The product is marketed under the brand name Actalycabtagene autoleucel (Qartemi), and its development drew sustained support from the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC). NexCAR19 is significant as the first humanised CD19-targeted CAR-T therapy developed entirely within a developing country, marking a milestone in India's bio-manufacturing and translational medicine capacity.

### Opponents

CAR-T therapy works by genetically re-engineering a patient's own immune cells to recognise and destroy cancer cells. The procedural sequence begins with leukapheresis, in which T-cells are extracted from the patient's blood. These cells are transported to a manufacturing facility where a disarmed viral vector inserts a synthetic gene encoding a chimeric antigen receptor onto the T-cell surface. In NexCAR19, this receptor targets the CD19 protein, a marker expressed on the surface of B-cells, including malignant ones. The modified cells are multiplied into the millions in culture, subjected to quality control, and then re-infused into the patient after a short course of conditioning chemotherapy. Once inside the body, the engineered T-cells proliferate, seek out CD19-bearing cells, and eliminate them, while persisting as a "living drug" capable of guarding against relapse.

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In April 2024, President Droupadi Murmu dedicated NexCAR19, India's first indigenous CAR-T cell therapy, to the nation at IIT Bombay, after CDSCO granted market approval in October 2023.

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