Archive · 20 Jan 2026
Cipla to Expand CAR-T Therapy to Africa
Cipla, a big medicine company, is going to make a special cancer treatment called CAR-T cell therapy available in South Africa, Algeria, and Morocco.
This treatment was made in India by a company called ImmunoACT, which works with IIT-B and Tata Memorial Hospital.
The therapy helps people with certain types of cancer when other treatments haven't worked.
It costs about ₹40 lakh in India, which is much cheaper than similar treatments elsewhere.
Cipla will first do tests in South Africa and then make the treatment there if needed.
The therapy has already helped over 500 people in India and is very effective.
Cipla wants to make sure this treatment is affordable for people in Africa, just like they did with HIV/AIDS medicines many years ago.
Cipla has signed an exclusive agreement with ImmunoACT to commercialize talicabtagene autoleucel, an indigenously developed CAR-T cell therapy, in South Africa, Algeria, and Morocco.
The therapy is used to treat relapsed or refractory B-cell Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (B-NHL) and B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (B-ALL).
Developed in collaboration between IIT-B, Tata Memorial Hospital, and ImmunoACT, the therapy costs about ₹40 lakh in India, significantly lower than international therapies.
Cipla will initially conduct clinical trials in South Africa and may set up a base closer to the patients if the scale increases.
The therapy has been administered to over 500 patients in India, demonstrating high efficacy and a well-tolerated safety profile.
- Who
- Cipla, ImmunoACT, IIT-B, Tata Memorial Hospital
- What
- Exclusive license and supply agreement for CAR-T cell therapy
- When
- January 20, 2026
- Where
- India, South Africa, Algeria, Morocco
- Why
- To make affordable CAR-T cell therapy available in Africa, similar to Cipla's initiative with HIV/AIDS drugs 25 years ago
- Company
- Cipla
- Therapy Name
- Talicabtagene Autoleucel
- Developed By
- ImmunoACT (IIT-B incubated company)
- Target Diseases
- B-cell Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (B-NHL) and B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (B-ALL)
- Cost in India
- ₹40 lakh (about one-tenth of international therapies)
- Patients Treated in India
- Over 500
- Target Markets
- South Africa, Algeria, Morocco