SRE and health sector collaborate to transfer state-of-the-art Indian technology for cancer treatment

The Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Marcelo Ebrard Casaubon, today witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the Indian company ImmunoACT, the Instituto Politécnico Nacional (IPN) and the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición "Salvador Zubirán (INCMNSZ), through which these institutions will develop state-of-the-art technology for the treatment of cancer.

The Chancellor explained that this agreement would allow Mexico access to one of the most innovative technologies in the world. "It is a technology that has to do with immunotherapy to fight cancer. Instead of using chemotherapy or radiotherapy, what is done is to activate cells of our own organism against cancer, it is a great step in the medical history of our country," he said.

With the signing of this agreement between the heads of the IPN, Arturo Reyes Sandoval, and INCMNSZ, José Sifuentes Osornio, as well as Prime Minister Modi and Minister Jaishankar, the cooperative relationship between Mexico and India is formalized to develop research projects, knowledge exchange, capacity building and technology transfer on novel cell therapies for the treatment of different types of cancer in the Mexican population, the third leading cause of death in the country.

Last April, Secretary Ebrard traveled to India with a delegation from the health and education sectors to strengthen the Mexican health system by negotiating technology transfer agreements.

At the Foreign Affairs headquarters, the general director of the IPN explained that this university would contribute together with the INN "Salvador Zubirán" in the development of cell therapy technology, that is to say, in the basic science and initial development part.

"At the IPN we are going to see how to prepare the cells initially, how to have the viral vectors ready to transduce the cells and make them more potent to kill neoplastic tissues," he said.

Reyes Sandoval mentioned that it would be a symbiotic relationship with the INN "Salvador Zubirán" since they will be in charge of administering these cells.

He added that these therapies, in addition to being an innovative treatment worldwide, make it possible for the neediest people in Mexico to have access to them and that through this agreement they will now be available in our country.

ImmunoACT Company focuses on the development of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies, which have innovated in the treatment of different types of cancer and other diseases such as autoimmune diseases.

Currently, there are no such therapies in Mexico, and they are very expensive for patients. The company has set itself the task of designing therapies with more accessible prices for the wellbeing of all people.

The event was held remotely from ImmunoACT's headquarters in Mumbai, India, and from Mexico City at the Foreign Ministry building, with the participation as honorary witnesses of the Director General of Planning and Evaluation of the SRE, Carlos Javier Castillo Pérez, and the General Director of International Cooperation Policy of the Mexican Agency for International Development Cooperation (Amexcid), Javier Dávila Torres; as well as David Kersenobich, former director of INCMNSZ, and Rahul Purwar, general director of InmunoACT.

With these actions of international cooperation for development, promoted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through Amexcid, diplomacy contributes to encourage and promote the development of science and technology, linking the health and academic and research sectors, to address major global challenges in health, bringing a direct benefit to Mexican society.

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