Cancer remains one of the leading causes of death across the world, with millions of patients undergoing physically demanding treatments every year.
Among the different forms of the disease, lung cancer is considered to be one of the deadliest, accounting for a significant number of global cancer-related deaths. For patients, the struggle often extends far beyond the disease itself. They have to withstand long hours inside overcrowded oncology centres, repeated hospital visits, emotionally exhausting therapies and the physical burden of treatment, all of which become part of daily life.
In recent times, immunotherapy has emerged as one of the most significant breakthroughs in modern cancer treatment. Unlike conventional chemotherapy, which directly attacks the cancer cells, immunotherapy works by strengthening the immune system of the body to recognise and fight cancer cells more effectively.
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In a major advancement for cancer care in India, a new immunotherapy injection called Tecentriq SC, also known as the '7-minute cancer shot', promises to make treatment significantly faster and more convenient for certain lung cancer patients.
What is the 7-minute cancer shot?
Tecentriq SC is the world's first subcutaneous (under-the-skin) immunotherapy drug. It was launched in India on May 15 to treat patients suffering from Non Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) – the most common type of lung cancer, which accounts for nearly 85 per cent of all lung cancer cases globally. The drug was launched by Roche, a leading provider of cancer treatments and in-vitro diagnostics, with the approval of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), India’s National Regulatory Authority (NRA) under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
How is this shot different?
Unlike traditional intravenous (IV) immunotherapy, which requires an hour-long drip to deliver the drug atezolizumab into the body, this subcutaneous injection takes only 7 minutes to do the job.
According to Roche, this shorter duration could allow health care providers to treat multiple patients (up to 5) in the time normally required for a single IV infusion. This difference is highly significant, considering the fact that many cancer centres already face an average wait time of 3-4 hours, and the staff are overworked.
A major difference also lies in the medium through which the drug is injected in both methods. While IV releases atezolizumab into the veins of the body, the latter injects the drug under the skin using ENHANZE, a drug-delivery technology developed by Halozyme Therapeutics. The injection is normally administered in the thigh area, targeting fatty tissues for efficient absorption.
How does it work?
Cancer cells often develop ways to escape detection by the body’s immune system. Immunotherapy drugs like atezolizumab, the active drug compound in Tecentriq, are designed to block this escape mechanism and help immune cells recognise cancer cells as harmful.
Our body normally has immune cells, T-cells, which patrol the body and destroy infected or abnormal cells. However, certain cancer cells protect themselves by displaying a protein called PD-L1 on their surface. This protein tricks T cells into ignoring the cancer cells by sending false 'stop' signals, which leads to the cancer cells going undetected.
Atezolizumab works by binding to the PD-L1 protein of the cancer cells and inhibiting its ability to send the 'stop' signals. This reactivates the immune system and allows T-cells to identify and destroy the cancer cells more effectively.
This approach has become one of the most important developments in modern oncology because, unlike chemotherapy, immunotherapy does not primarily work by directly destroying cells.
Instead, it strengthens the body’s natural defence system against cancer. Researchers have also observed that immunotherapy can sometimes provide longer-lasting responses in certain patients compared to conventional cancer treatments, although response rates vary depending on tumour biology, cancer stage and the patient’s immune condition.
What is the biggest challenge?
Despite this breakthrough, affordability remains a major concern. One shot of the drug costs Rs 3.7 lakh, and most patients would require 6 shots of the same, which sums to approximately Rs 22 lakh, making it highly unaffordable for the patients. However, the number of shots required can vary depending on the patient’s stage and response. Various measures are being explored to improve its affordability and access.
Ultimately, this remarkable advancement in cancer treatment highlights both the possibilities and limitations of modern health care. While innovations like Tecentriq SC can make treatment faster and more patient-friendly, their real impact will depend on whether life-saving treatments become genuinely accessible to the people who need them most.