India's Technology Development Board Funds Indigenous CAR-NK Cell Therapy Platform for Cancer and Leishmaniasis Treatment
Key Insights
The Technology Development Board (search) under India's Department of Science and Technology has awarded financial assistance to East Ocean Bio for developing the country's first platform-based CAR-NK cell therapy (search) ecosystem.
The project targets resistant solid tumors (search) through anti-PD-L1 CAR-NK (search) therapy and represents a novel immunotherapeutic approach for leishmaniasis (search), a neglected tropical disease.
The indigenous technology platform offers off-the-shelf, allogeneic CAR-NK therapies that provide immediate availability and reduced safety risks compared to conventional CAR-T therapies.
The Technology Development Board (search) (TDB) under India's Department of Science and Technology has awarded financial assistance to East Ocean Bio Private Limited (search), Gurugram, for developing the country's first indigenous CAR-NK cell therapy (search) platform. The project, titled "CAR-NK based Cell Therapy Development and Clinical Trials for Difficult-to-treat Tumors and Leishmaniasis (search)," represents a significant milestone in India's pursuit of advanced immunotherapy capabilities.
Platform Technology and Therapeutic Applications
The company proposes to develop and commercialize two primary therapeutic applications under this platform. The first focuses on anti-PD-L1 CAR-NK (search) cell therapy for treating multiple resistant solid tumors (search) that can escape the body's immune system. The second application targets leishmaniasis (search), representing a novel immunotherapeutic strategy for this neglected tropical disease of significant public health relevance in India.
CAR-NK (Chimeric Antigen Receptor–Natural Killer) cell therapies are emerging as a scalable and potentially safer alternative to conventional autologous CAR-T therapies. These platforms utilize healthy donors to isolate and expand NK cells, which are then engineered to express CAR constructs against disease-specific targets.
Advantages Over Traditional CAR-T Therapy
Unlike patient-specific CAR-T therapies, CAR-NK therapies offer several distinct advantages. The technology provides immediate availability, simplified manufacturing logistics, and lower risk of graft-versus-host disease (search) (GvHD). Additionally, CAR-NK therapies demonstrate a favorable safety profile with reduced incidence of cytokine release syndrome (search) (CRS) and neurotoxicity compared to traditional approaches.
NK cells possess intrinsic anti-tumor and immunomodulatory properties, including the ability to target MHC-I (search) deficient tumors. This inherent capability enhances their therapeutic potential beyond the engineered CAR construct functionality.
Indigenous Manufacturing Capabilities
The technology platform has been developed entirely in-house, focusing on allogeneic, off-the-shelf CAR-NK and CAR-γδ T cell therapies derived from healthy donors. These cells are engineered in bulk quantities, cryopreserved under GMP-adaptable systems, and can be administered without patient matching. This approach enables scalability, cost-effectiveness, and rapid deployment of treatments.
The lead innovation integrates a PD-L1 (search)-targeting CAR construct into NK cells using a gamma-retroviral platform, ensuring high expression efficiency and sustained functional persistence. This technical approach represents a significant advancement in the field of cellular immunotherapy.
Strategic Impact and Future Outlook
Rajesh Kumar Pathak, Secretary of TDB, emphasized that the Board's support reflects its commitment to nurturing high-impact, frontier technologies that address unmet medical needs while building indigenous manufacturing capabilities. He noted that enabling advanced cell therapy platforms within the country will significantly reduce reliance on imported therapies and position India as a competitive player in next-generation immunotherapies.
Dr. Renu and Dr. Dinesh Kundu, Co-founders of East Ocean Bio Private Limited (search), expressed that TDB's support will accelerate clinical translation of the company's CAR-NK platform and help bridge the gap between laboratory innovation and patient access. They highlighted that developing an indigenous, scalable, and affordable cell therapy platform has the potential to transform treatment paradigms for both oncology and infectious diseases in India and beyond.
The project aligns with India's vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat and is expected to contribute to strengthening the country's bio-innovation ecosystem, enhancing technology self-reliance, and advancing affordable access to cutting-edge therapies.