Icon commits to cellular therapy expansion 

After three years advancing his cancer care skills in New York, Dr Karthik Nath has returned to Australia with the goal of improving patients' access to innovative treatments.

Dr Nath has taken on the new role of Deputy Director of Cellular Therapy at Icon Cancer Centre Australia, where he was a clinical haematologist before heading to the United States in 2021.

"I'm thrilled to take on this new role and look forward to contributing to the advancement of cellular therapy in Australia," Dr Nath said. 

"I'm particularly interested in improving access to CAR T-cell therapy for our patients in Australia." 

Withchimeric antigen receptor (CAR)therapy,a patient's immunesystem is re-engineered todestroycancerous cells.

After being removed from the patient, the cells are modified with new proteins to recognise the cancer, then returned to the body in large numbersto fight it. 

It has proven to be highly effective for patients with blood cancers such as lymphoma, myeloma, and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), andisalso being explored as a treatment for breast, gastric and kidney cancers.  

"In my new role at Icon I'm dedicated to improving the availability of this treatment option, and ultimately providing the best possible care for our patients," said Dr Nath, who completed a fellowship at Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy in New York before workingat the renowned Memorial Sloan Kettering CancerCentre. 

Heoversaw the management of patients receiving innovative cellular therapies, including CAR T-cell therapy and tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). 

"My research interest includes exploring ways to make CAR T-cell therapy safer, with fewer side effects, and I look forward to the opportunity to grow Icon's capabilities in this space," Dr Nath added.

Icon Group is Australia's largest dedicated cancer care provider, with over 35 centres across the country. 

Group Medical Director Dr Ian Irving said Dr Nath's appointment – made possible by donor funding from Icon Cancer Foundation – marked a step forward in its commitment to investing in research and advancing cancer care.

"We're very pleased to welcome back Karthik, who started his career with Icon and has since made significant contributions to the cancer care profession," Dr Irving said.

"Karthik will help enhance our strong research offering with a focus on exploring cellular therapy clinical trials and providing direction and advocacy for increased access to cellular therapies particularly in Australia's private healthcare sector."

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