Indian Scientists And Pharma Company Collaborate To Develop Breakthrough Cancer Care Tablets — 'Aktocyte'

Indian government and industry scientists are collaborating to significantly improve the quality of life of cancer patients.

Scientists from the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) and the Bengaluru-based specialty pharmaceutical company IDRS Labs Private Limited have joined hands to develop Aktocyte tablets.

Aktocyte, which has the regulatory nod of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), has worked wonders, especially for pelvic cancer patients.

“Patients treated with AKTOCYTE tablets demonstrated an extraordinary recovery, eliminating the need for surgical removal of the urinary bladder,” a DAE statement said Wednesday (13 December).

Tested in patients suffering from radiotherapy-induced cystitis (blood in urine), the tablets are said to have “shown remarkable results.”

Radiotherapy, or radiation therapy, according to the National Cancer Institute, “is a cancer treatment that uses high doses of radiation to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors.”

“The tablets, designed as an adjuvant to cancer radiotherapy, regenerative nutraceutical, immunomodulator, and antioxidant, mark a significant advancement in cancer care,” the statement said, speaking to the versatility of the tablets in cancer care.

The Aktocyte tablets are expected to be available on the market by January 2024.

The primary aim of the effort was to minimise the side effects of radiotherapy, for which experts from Mumbai and Navi Mumbai — Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Tata Memorial Hospital, and Advanced Centre for Training Research and Education in Cancer — collaborated with IDRS Labs.

"The collaboration between the institutions of DAE and industry has been instrumental in bringing this breakthrough to fruition," the DAE said.

“The development marks a pivotal moment in the convergence of scientific innovation and practical solutions for cancer care,” it added.

The DAE has established cancer centres in Kharghar, Varanasi (two), Guwahati, Sangrur, Visakhapatnam, New Chandigarh, and Muzaffarpur. Collaborator Tata Memorial Hospital is also providing services for cancer care.

Cancer is among the leading causes of death globally and, therefore, a matter of serious public health concern.

In India, incident cases of cancer are on the rise. As many as 1,461,427 cancer cases were registered in the country last year — up from 1,426,447 in 2021 and 1,392,179 in 2020.