India-made drugs reduce treatment costs for rare diseases by 100-fold
Indian drug companies have managed to manufacture medicines for four rare diseases with the help of the central government in just a year, slashing the cost of treatment by up to 100-fold. Drugs for Gaucher's Disease, Wilson's Disease, Tyrosinemia Type 1, and Dravet-Lennox Gastaut Syndrome are available in India at drastically cheaper rates, as Indian pharma companies are now making them.
All you need to know about rare diseases
India has approximately eight to 10 crore patients who suffer from rare diseases. A rare disease can be defined as a notably low-prevalence health condition affecting around 6-8% of the total population of a country. Nearly 80% of these diseases are reportedly genetic, meaning that symptoms can be seen and require treatment at an early age.
Here's how much cheaper treating rare diseases has become
For instance, the treatment for Tyrosinemia type 1 now costs Rs. 2.5 lakh annually instead of Rs. 2.2 crore to Rs. 6.5 crore for the same duration. With Eliglustat capsules, the cost of treating Gaucher's disease has been reduced to Rs. 3.6 lakh from Rs. 1.8-3.6 crore annually. Furthermore, treatment using Trientine capsules for Wilson's disease has decreased from Rs. 2.2 crore to Rs. 2.2 lakh per year.
Role of Centre, Indian pharma companies in reducing treatment costs
In July 2022, companies like Biophore India Private Limited, Laurus Labs, MSN Pharmaceuticals, etc., started working on medicines for 13 rare diseases. According to reports, medicines for the four previously mentioned rare diseases have been manufactured, and those for the other diseases are expected soon. It's also learned that there are plans to deliver these medicines to Jan Aushadhi centers under the government's initiative to provide quality medicines at affordable prices.
Health ministry official reveals factors behind slashed treatment costs
A senior health ministry official revealed that reducing treatment costs was possible because "we have been able to identify the priority conditions" and work with the industry to ensure treatments. "When called upon, the companies also agreed to produce these medicines without a profit motive. There cannot be profit with these medicines as very few people need these," the official told The Indian Express.
