Parliament Question: Affordable Price of Injections for Serious Injuries

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS DEPARTMENT OF PHARMACEUTICALS LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. †3512 TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 13TH MARCH 2026 Affordable Price of Injections for Serious Injuries †3512. Shri Hanuman Beniwal: Will the Minister of CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS be pleased to state: (a) whether the serious diseases like Spinal Muscular Atrophy and muscular dystrophy, which occur due to genetic disorders and other causes, require injections and medicines that are very expensive and need to be imported from abroad, if so, the details thereof; (b) whether the Government proposes to start domestic production of such injections and medicines used in the treatment of the said diseases in the country, so that poor patients suffering from these diseases may receive treatment at affordable cost, if so, the details thereof; (c) whether the Government proposes to provide such medicines and injections free of cost to patients suffering from these diseases; and (d) if so, the details thereof? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS (SMT. ANUPRIYA PATEL) (a) to (d): As informed by Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, many of the drugs required for the treatment of rare diseases are expensive as they are imported from outside the country. National Policy for Rare Diseases 2021 (NPRD, 2021) facilitates financial and medical support of up to Rs. 50 Lakh per patient for treatment of any of the 63 identified rare diseases through 15 designated Centres of Excellence. Further, the Union Cabinet on 24.02.2021 has approved Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for Pharmaceuticals with the objective to enhance India’s manufacturing capabilities by increasing investment and production in the pharmaceuticals sector and contributing to product diversification to high-value goods in the pharmaceutical sector. Risdiplam, which is the API used in formulations to treat Spinal Muscular Atrophy, is being manufactured by Biophore India Pharmaceuticals Private Limited under PLI Scheme for Pharmaceuticals. Further, Natco Pharma Limited has launched the generic version of the drug in Indian market and is manufacturing the product domestically. *****