Cellogen Therapeutics, a Delhi-based biotech startup promoted by Dr Gaurav Kharya, Director, Centre for Bone Marrow Transplant & Cellular Therapy, Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, Delhi has raised around $2 million from Hyderabad-based Natco Pharma.

Cellogen is primarily involved in two R&D programmes involving cell and gene therapy solutions. Chimeric Antigen Receptor T (CAR-T) cell therapy programme is at an advanced stage for Cellogen Therapeutics where the T cells of the patients are genetically engineered to identify and kill the cancer cells. Cellogen Therapeutics has developed bi-specific CARs and also added another costimulatory domain to increase the efficacy and persistence of the CAR in human body as compared to currently available CAR constructs that are mono-specific with one co-stimulatory domain.

Both these innovations are aimed at reducing the risk of relapse post CAR-T cell therapy which remains a major challenge with existing CAR constructs. Current available products in market cost around $500,000 – 700,000 which Cellogen aims to bring down to $ 60,000 – 70,000.

Another programme on which Cellogen Therapeutics is working is gene therapy programme for transfusion dependent thalassemia and sickle cell disease. It is noteworthy that these two diseases form the largest burden of red cell disorders across the globe. As per rough estimates, 40,000 kids are born each year with these disorders in India (10,000 with thalassemia and 30,000 with sickle cell disease).