Gaurav Narula: When none believed, our institutions at Tata Memorial Hospital, IIT Bombay did
Gaurav Narula, Professor Pediatric Oncology and Health Sciences at Tata Memorial Center, shared an X post by Devina Sengupta, Deputy Editor at Live Mint, adding:
”Thanks for our story in detail! When none believed, our institutions Tata Memorial Hospital, IIT Bombay did! ‘I need a CAR, you need a Driver…’ Of the cuff remark. Never thought it’d make print some day eh.”
Quoting Devina Sengupta’s post:
”A professor at IIT Bombay and docs in Tata Memorial Hospital developed a cancer therapy over 7 years. Large pharma firms scoffed. Today, 98 patients have received the drug,50% show +response. Global scientists are shocked. How did they manage? What’s their story? I find out Mint.
A professor who came from a village where schools had no classrooms. 2 docs who were tired of seeing thousands of patients line up for one bed. They fought for grants, their PhD students worked in 150sft labs that were part of cabins. Why don’t we lay a bet on our own scientists?
Sheeba Verghese after 8 rounds of chemo was given weeks to live. She tried India’s home grown NexCAR 19. CAR T-cell ain’t a miracle drug. But given to those suffering from certain cancer where other options failed. Sheba’s cancer is arrested and next scan is in April.
This story took weeks of reporting, travelling, talking to scientists across the world. We often ignore the superb work happening in our backyards. Need corporates to work with academics more in India. This story could have never happened… Read further.
Am not a pharma reporter so this was a complex and sensitive subject. Rahul Purwar – His story is similar to the movie 12th Fail! The global scientist community is close knit one I discovered. Vikas Dandekar, Goutam Das hat tip. Am keeping all notes of this story for posterity!”
Source: Gaurav Narula/X and Devina Sengupta/X