Nucelion Therapeutics, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bharat Biotech and based in Hyderabad, has partnered with VeGen Bio, also based in Hyderabad. The goal of this collaboration is to produce an advanced method of cancer treatment, allowing the vaccine manufacturer to expand its presence in the growing cell and gene therapy market.
Under the terms of the agreement, Nucelion will provide technology transfer, process development, and manufacturing services for VeGen Bio's experimental CAR-T therapy, VL-2511. This therapy is being developed to treat multiple myeloma, which is a type of blood cancer.
The companies plan to advance this treatment into Phase 1/2 clinical trials in India and aim for commercialization by 2028, subject to obtaining necessary regulatory approvals. It is important to note that this partnership is for manufacturing cooperation, not a marketing or drug distribution agreement.
VeGen Bio is responsible for providing the treatment technology, while Nucelion will utilize its specialized manufacturing facilities in Hyderabad to create production processes, manufacture the therapy for clinical trials, and support subsequent commercial release.
For Bharat Biotech, this partnership is part of a broader strategy to move beyond vaccine manufacturing and transition into providing services for complex biological drug production. Nucelion offers services covering viral vectors, genetically modified cells, and other complex biological products.
Some of these processes utilize capabilities already employed in vaccine production, but patient-specific cell therapies require additional infrastructure and expertise. Raghu Malapaka, Business Development Director at Nucelion Therapeutics, noted that as one of the first CRDMOs in India specializing in cell and gene therapy, Nucelion bridges the gap between a promising construct and a product that can be reliably manufactured at scale, assisting partners like VeGen at every stage—from process development to clinical and commercial manufacturing.
Nucelion has previously expanded its business through partnerships. In January 2026, it announced a collaboration with Pandorum Technologies from Bengaluru to produce experimental regenerative treatments for eye diseases. It subsequently signed a contract with Nordic Cell Therapy Group from Denmark to explore cell therapy development and another with Quantoom Biosciences from Belgium to research RNA production in India. The partnership with VeGen Bio extends this strategy into the field of CAR-T therapy manufacturing for cancer treatment.
CAR-T therapy involves collecting a patient's immune cells, genetically modifying them in a lab to recognize and attack cancer cells, and then returning these cells to the patient's body. Unlike traditional medications, which are produced in large batches, such treatments require stringent quality control and specialized facilities for each individual patient.
VL-2511 is designed to target two proteins—BCMA and CD19—to reduce the likelihood that cancer cells can evade treatment. According to the companies, the therapy has undergone clinical development in China and is also under development in the United States.
Prashant Bhawar, Director of VeGen Bio, emphasized that while CAR-T cell therapy holds great potential for patients with serious forms of cancer, its full realization requires a coordinated approach to technology transfer, manufacturing, scaling, and commercialization.
Cell and gene therapies are attracting increasing interest as they offer treatment options for specific types of cancer and genetic disorders where existing methods may be insufficiently effective. An indigenous CAR-T method, NexCAR19, has already been created in India through the joint efforts of IIT Bombay, Tata Memorial Centre, and ImmunoACT. Nevertheless, high production costs and the need for specialized infrastructure remain obstacles to wider access to these methods.
Nucelion and VeGen Bio stated that their joint work will focus on improving production efficiency and reducing costs to make advanced cancer treatment more accessible in India.