Hyderabad, May 21 (PTI) Rainbow Children’s Hospital, a leading chain of hospitals for paediatric, obstetrics and gynaecology, successfully administered gene therapy to a child diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) at its Secunderabad facility here.
This marks the eighth such treatment carried out at the hospital.
SMA is a devastating genetic neuromuscular condition that affects about one in 10,000 children globally. In India alone, it is estimated that nearly 1,000 children are currently battling this disease, the hospital said in a release on Wednesday.
The therapy was administered under the supervision of Ramesh Konanki, Consultant Pediatric Neurologist, Rainbow Children’s Hospital, Secunderabad.
As part of the treatment protocol, the child received Zolgensma, a one-time gene therapy specifically developed to treat Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) by replacing the defective SMN1 gene responsible for the condition.
Administered through an adeno-associated viral vector (a versatile viral vector technology), the therapy enables the production of the SMN protein, which is essential for survival of motor neurons and thus the muscle function.
With a cost of approximately Rs 14 crore per dose, Zolgensma is considered one of the most expensive therapies currently available worldwide.
Rainbow Children’s Hospital, Secunderabad is one of the few centres in India equipped with the infrastructure, multidisciplinary expertise, and expertise necessary to deliver such cutting-edge gene therapies, the release said.
Following administration of the medicine, the children require continuous monitoring by a multi-disciplinary team and weekly laboratory investigations, to identify potential adverse events and early intervention, it said.
“This treatment has given our family renewed hope. We are grateful to the entire team at Rainbow Children’s Hospital for their professionalism, support. We also extend our heartfelt thanks to all the well-wishers and donors who came forward to help us make this possible,” Vineet Chaudary, father of the child, said. PTI SJR SJR KH
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