CURRENT AFFAIRS | 15 JUNE 2026
A Noida biotech lab, Cellogen Therapeutics, co-founded by Dr Gaurav Kharya, is set to begin human trials of a novel CAR-T cell therapy designed to keep cancer from returning. The therapy mimics vaccine-like immune memory so the engineered T-cells persist and keep fighting cancer even if it re-emerges, reducing relapse. The model holds an Indian patent and a provisional US patent.
CAR-T (Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell) therapy collects a patient’s own immune T-cells, re-engineers them in the lab to identify and destroy cancer cells, then infuses them back. Two CAR-T therapies are already approved in India, Immuneel’s Qartemi (~Rs 40 lakh) and ImmunoACT’s NexCAR19 (~Rs 20 lakh), the latter India’s first indigenous CAR-T, developed with IIT Bombay and Tata Memorial.
The new therapy is second-generation and aims to be affordable (~Rs 20 lakh) and eventually off-the-shelf, with an “in-vivo” version that could cut cost to ~Rs 8 lakh. The Phase I trial is expected within a month on 9 patients with acute leukaemia and lymphoma, with a longer-term goal of a solid-tumour / triple-negative breast cancer therapy.
Constitutional / Legal Framework
The innovation is anchored in intellectual property law: the model carries an Indian patent under the Patents Act 1970 plus a provisional US patent. Clinical trials and eventual approval fall under India’s drug regulator, the CDSCO (Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation), with research oversight by the ICMR. The story also reflects Make-in-India in pharma, following NexCAR19, India’s first indigenous CAR-T (IIT Bombay-Tata Memorial).
CLAT Angle
For CLAT, this blends science & technology with IPR. Expect questions on what CAR-T therapy is, the Patents Act 1970, India’s CDSCO/ICMR regulators, and indigenous innovation. Cost figures (Rs 8-40 lakh) and the NexCAR19 “first indigenous” fact are common data traps.
Key Facts
| Lab / founder | Cellogen Therapeutics; Dr Gaurav Kharya |
| What it is | 2nd-gen CAR-T cell therapy |
| Key feature | Vaccine-like immune memory (cuts relapse) |
| IP | Indian patent + provisional US patent |
| Trial | Phase I, 9 patients (leukaemia/lymphoma) |
| Target cost | ~Rs 20 lakh; in-vivo ~Rs 8 lakh |
Mnemonic / Memory Hook
“CAR remembers the road.” CAR-T = Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell; this version adds memory (vaccine-like) so cancer can’t sneak back. For India’s first indigenous CAR-T, remember “NexCAR19 = IIT-B + Tata.”
Why this matters for CLAT 2027: Indigenous biotech and IPR are rising CLAT themes. Knowing how CAR-T therapy works, the Patents Act 1970, the CDSCO/ICMR regulators, and India’s NexCAR19 milestone will help you tackle CLAT 2027 GK on science, health and innovation.
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