New 'smart cancer drug' designed to 'switch on' may replace chemotherapy, says govt

In a major breakthrough for cancer treatment in India, the government on Thursday announced a "smart" cancer drug that can replace the traditional chemotherapy which it said has been found to harm healthy cells while attacking the cancer cells in the human body.

The government said the ‘smart’ cancer drug has been designed to switch on and work only inside cancer cells, sparing the healthy cells from damage.

“Cancer treatment often damages healthy cells along with cancer cells, causing significant associated adverse effects and side effects. This has created a need for targeted therapies that remain inactive in normal tissues while it travels through the body and become activated specifically at tumor sites,” the government said in a statement.

It said the smart cancer drug, named RK-251, was formulated after collaborative research led by Dr Asis Bala from the Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology (IASST), and Dr KP Bhabak of Indian Institute of Technology-Guwahati.

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