New Delhi: Immuneel Therapeutics on Monday inaugurated its integrated cell therapy facility in Bengaluru to increase access to life-saving cell and gene therapies for cancer patients in India.

Located in Narayana Hrudayalaya Health City, the integrated facility includes Laboratories for quality and research and development, and cGMP-compliant manufacturing suites. "The inauguration of this fully integrated facility is a proud milestone for Immuneel Therapeutics and for India as we bring a breakthrough innovation like CAR T therapy to cancer patients in India," Biocon Executive Chairperson and Immuneel Co-founder Kiran Mazumdar Shaw said.

Immuneel is focussed on delivering cutting edge, high-quality CAR T therapy, and the whole concept was of locating it within a hospital because they felt that this is going to be a differentiator in terms of what other companies have done and have realised the importance of being within a hospital environment, she added. Speaking at the facility's inauguration, she said another critical aspect of this particular venture was that it had to be very close to a bone marrow transplant unit, and that unit is just one floor below this facility.

"Novel Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) Ts are going to be making a huge difference to cancer therapy as we move along," Mazumdar Shaw said, adding that she is very keen that Immuneel plays a very key role in capability building and capacity building. Addressing the event virtually, Department of Biotechnology Secretary Renu Swarup said: "It is a significant milestone for India to have an integrated facility. That develops advanced technologies and delivers cutting edge therapies."