President Droupadi Murmu launched India’s first home-grown gene therapy for cancer at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay on Thursday.

Speaking on the occasion, President Murmu said that the launch of India’s first gene therapy is a breakthrough in the battle against cancer.

Murmu said, "As this line of treatment, named 'CAR-T cell therapy', is accessible and affordable, it provides new hope for humankind."

She also expressed confidence that the therapy will be successful in giving new lives to countless patients.

The President further said, "CAR-T cell therapy is considered to be one of the most phenomenal advances in medical science. It has been available in the developed nations for some time, but it is extremely costly and beyond the reach of most patients around the world."

She was happy to note that the therapy being launched today is the world’s most affordable CAR-T cell therapy. Murmu said that it is also an example of the ‘Make in India’ initiative; a shining example of the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’.

The President was happy to note that India’s first CAR-T cell therapy is developed through collaboration between the IIT Bombay and Tata Memorial Hospital in association with industry partner ImmunoACT. She said that this is a praiseworthy example of academia-industry partnership, which should inspire many more similar efforts.

The President said that IIT Bombay is renowned, not only in India but across the world, as a model of technology education. In the development of CAR-T cell therapy, technology is not only being put in the service of humanity, but partnerships have been with an eminent institution from another field as well as with industry.