Kathmandu, March 7 -- Nepal has approved its first domestically manufactured CAR T-cell therapy for clinical use, marking a milestone in the country's cancer treatment capabilities. The Department of Drug Administration approved the product developed in Kathmandu.

The therapy, a CD19 CAR T-cell product, is used to treat aggressive blood cancers, including B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia and Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma. The treatment works by collecting a patient's T-cells from the blood, genetically modifying them in a laboratory to recognise cancer cells, and then reinfusing them into the body to destroy the disease.

The programme was developed at the Centre for Regenerative Medicine Nepal by a multidisciplinary team. Officials ...