Kerala’s SMA Medicine Row: Minister to Clarify Drug Concerns in Assembly

Kerala Health Minister K Muraleedharan on Saturday said there was no cause for concern over medicines being administered to children with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and said he would provide further clarification on the issue in the state Assembly on October 26.

The minister was responding to concerns raised by CPI(M) leaders over the use of lower-cost, Indian-made medicines for children with the rare genetic disorder. He said the doctors treating the patients had addressed the concerns and found no anomalies in the medicines being administered.

Muraleedharan also referred to statements by three doctors whom he described as being close to the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF), saying they had not identified any irregularities. He said the matter could be discussed in detail in the Assembly on Monday.

The controversy emerged after CPI(M) leaders P K Sreemathi, K K Shailaja and Veena George, all of whom served as health ministers during the previous LDF government, questioned the distribution of lower-cost medicines to children with SMA. CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan also raised concerns about the quality of the drugs.

Spinal muscular atrophy is an inherited genetic disorder that causes progressive muscle weakness and wasting due to the loss of motor neurons in the spinal cord and brainstem. Depending on its type and severity, the condition can affect a child’s ability to sit, move, swallow and breathe.

One medicine used to treat SMA is risdiplam, an oral drug that helps increase the production of the survival motor neuron protein. It is marketed internationally as Evrysdi, while an Indian version is available under the brand name Natsmart.

Other treatments include nusinersen, administered through spinal injections, and onasemnogene abeparvovec, a gene therapy. Their availability and affordability remain challenges for many families.

India’s National Policy for Rare Diseases, 2021, provides financial assistance of up to ₹50 lakh for eligible patients through designated Centres of Excellence, subject to applicable conditions.

The minister’s proposed statement in the Assembly is expected to provide further details on the concerns surrounding the medicines. The specific questions raised about the supplies and their labelling remain subject to clarification.