Low-Cost SMA Drugs in Keralam Follow Expert Advice: K Muraleedharan
On the issue of medicines labelled 'doctor's sample' and 'for clinical trials' being given to SMA patients, Muraleedharan said that no written complaints have been received
Thiruvananthapuram: Keralam Health Minister K Muraleedharan on Wednesday said that low-cost Indian-made SMA medicines were given to children based on the recommendation of an expert committee on the quality of the drugs.
Muraleedharan told reporters that the process was initiated during the time of the previous Left government.
"Based on an expert committee's finding that the Indian-made medicines are of good quality, the government took the decision to provide them to patients. There have been no complaints about the medicine. But people still have more faith in foreign medicines than the low-cost Indian-made varieties," he said.
The minister said that the government took the decision in order to provide the new medicine for Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), a genetic disorder, to more people at lower costs.
"There is a difference of lakhs in the price between the two medicines," he said.
At the same time, he said that if any expert doctor has a contrary view, it will be considered by the government.
On the issue of medicines labelled 'doctor's sample' and 'for clinical trials' being given to SMA patients, Muraleedharan said that no written complaints have been received.
He said that he saw a Facebook post on the issue by the Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan and if the CPI(M) veteran gives a written complaint, it will be investigated.
"Currently, Indian-made medicines will be provided as no one has questioned their quality," he added.
Vijayan, a day ago in a Facebook post, had expressed shock over reports of experimental drugs meant for SMA clinical trials being given to children suffering from the genetic disease without their parents' consent and demanded strict action against those responsible.
Meanwhile, former state Health Minister K K Shailaja told reporters that the new medicines were being given in cases where significant changes were seen in patients under the earlier drugs.
"Also, the packaging said 'doctor's sample' and 'for clinical trials'. All this has created apprehension in the minds of the parents," she said.
She further said that it was dangerous to give medicines with such labels to toddlers as testing on kids below 12 years of age is prohibited under the law.
"The matter needs to be examined immediately as it is a question about the lives of kids," Shailaja said.
Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a rare, inherited genetic condition that causes progressive muscle weakness and atrophy.
