A major breakthrough in cancer care in Eastern India has been achieved as Apollo Multispeciality Hospitals in Kolkata successfully performed CAR-T cell therapy on a 31-year-old engineer suffering from high-risk Pre-B Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). This is the first time the hospital has used this advanced treatment for an adult leukemia case, and the early results look very encouraging.

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The patient had already gone through several rounds of chemotherapy, including the intensive BFM protocol. While this treatment helped initially, some leukemia cells remained in his bone marrow, making a relapse more likely. The medical team then suggested CAR-T cell therapy as a more lasting treatment option.

The patient was evaluated by Dr. Soumya Bhattacharya and Dr. Rajat Bhattacharyya, both senior consultants in Haematology and Hemato-oncology at Apollo. They determined he was a good candidate for the therapy. He was treated with NexCAR19, an Indian-developed CAR-T therapy. Before the treatment, he received a short course of pre-conditioning chemotherapy with Fludarabine and Cyclophosphamide. The CAR-T infusion was administered on June 18, 2025, and the procedure went smoothly without any complications. After the treatment, the patient had mild fever and tiredness, both of which were manageable. Importantly, there were no signs of neurotoxicity, and his recovery has been steady.

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Dr. Soumya Bhattacharya pointed out that this case is a significant milestone not only for Apollo Kolkata but also for the entire Eastern India region. He mentioned that CAR-T therapy is becoming an essential choice for patients with leukemia that hasn’t responded to standard treatments and provides hope for long-term remission when other treatments fail.

Dr. Rajat Bhattacharyya expressed pride in offering a homegrown solution like NexCAR19, which he believes reflects India’s increasing skill in creating advanced medical treatments. He noted that using an Indian-made therapy makes such advanced care more available and cost-effective for patients throughout the country. This case supports the growing evidence that CAR-T therapy can be successfully used in Indian hospitals and brings new hope to those fighting aggressive or returning forms of leukemia. The successful use of a locally made CAR-T product also shows progress toward more independent, personalized cancer care in the country.

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