Kotak Alts Invests INR 200 Mn in Cellogen Therapeutics to Advance CAR-T Programs

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The investment will be used to advance Cellogen’s CAR-T clinical programmes, expand its gene therapy pipeline, and strengthen its GMP-compliant manufacturing and regulatory capabilities.

Kotak Alternate Asset Managers Limited, through its Kotak Life Sciences Fund I (KLSF-I), has invested INR 200 million in Cellogen Therapeutics, a biotechnology company focused on cell and gene therapies.

The investment will be used to advance Cellogen’s CAR-T clinical programmes, expand its gene therapy pipeline, and strengthen its GMP-compliant manufacturing and regulatory capabilities.

Founded in 2021, Cellogen Therapeutics works in advanced cellular engineering and gene therapy. The company is led by Dr. Gaurav Kharya and Dr. Tanveer Ahmad and is backed by NATCO Pharma.

Cellogen’s core platform focuses on next-generation CAR-T therapies, while early-stage programmes are being developed for beta thalassemia and sickle cell disease.

The company’s lead asset is a bispecific, dual-antigen CAR-T therapy aimed at reducing relapse, one of the key challenges with current treatments. Cellogen is working toward initiating Phase I human clinical trials, subject to regulatory approvals, in collaboration with Christian Medical College Vellore.

Ashish Ranjan, Director, Kotak Alts, said that access to advanced therapies such as CAR-T and gene therapy remains limited in India largely because of cost. He added that Cellogen’s indigenous, IP-led platform combines next-generation science with cost-efficient development.

Ranjan also said the company’s bispecific CAR-T programme places it among a small group globally working on advanced multi-targeted CAR-T approaches.

Cellogen operates an integrated GMP-compliant manufacturing facility in Noida with in-house capabilities in CAR design and lentiviral vector manufacturing, supporting lower treatment costs compared to global benchmarks.

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