ImmunoACT CEO Dr Rahul Purwar outlines progress made by the firm’s early-stage CAR-T therapy in India, which he believes can be available at a tenth of the price of current on-market treatments or around the cost range for bone marrow transplant. Laurus Labs, which holds about 27% in ImmunoACT, is expected to help shape the firm’s globalization plans.

Indian firms are getting their act together in areas like cell and gene therapy, with Dr Reddy’s aiming big and readying a facility alongside an alliance with a Chinese firm for a CAR-T therapy. The company is also doubling down in contract development and manufacturing, with an eye on opportunities in biologics.

Afrigen’s MD, Petro Terblanche, discusses the operational freedom that the WTO intellectual property waiver provides for its COVID-19 vaccine being developed under the wider WHO-backed mRNA technology transfer hub initiative. The executive doesn’t anticipate big pharma pushback but says the alliance will “test the system”, though others believe the waiver in its current form doesn’t count for much.

Indian investigating agency probes alleged bribe paid to drugs regulator in a case pertaining to the approval process of Biocon Biologics’ insulin aspart. The company strongly denies the allegations, underscoring that all its product approvals are backed by science and clinical data.

Takeda dips into the ex-Shire portfolio to debut Adynovate in India, where a large number of hemophilia patients remain undiagnosed. The extended half-life recombinant Factor VIII treatment, though, will need to take on competitors like Roche’s blockbuster, Hemlibra, which has seen rapid adoption in reimbursement ecosystems where it is included in the formulary

Tildrakizumab, including Ilumetri end market numbers, nears $500m sales mark, with the contribution of Sun's wider specialty business nearly doubling since fiscal 2018. The anti-IL-23p19 monoclonal antibody has seen global sales spurt 81% in fiscal 2022, while acne therapy Winlevi has been well received by dermatologists in the US.