India offers Rs 10 crore reward for new drug to treat sickle cell disease

Written by Ruchika Sharma Published On 2025-06-21T12:32:59+05:30 | Updated On 21 Jun 2025 12:32 PM IST

India offers Rs 10 crore reward for new drug to treat sickle cell disease

New Delhi: The government has announced a prize of Rs 10 crore to develop a drug for the treatment of sickle cell disease.

There is only a single drug available as on date for the management of Sickle Cell Disease (SCD). There is currently no option to select a drug from a spectrum of drugs options for management of a patient, depending on his/her body conditions and severity of the disease. This problem gets augmented in special situations like pregnancy, other serious medical conditions etc. Therefore, there is an urgent need for the development of a new drug/s for the management of the disease.

The tribal affairs Ministry in collaboration with AIIMS Delhi will undertake a competition for drug development; the selected proposal will be funded up to Rs 10 cores for the drug development.

All effort would be made in eradicating sickle cell from the country by the end of 2047; this was stated by the Union Minister of State Shri Durgadas Uikey in New Delhi. Addressing a gathering in AIIMS on the occasion of “World Sickle cell Day” he said that there would be no dearth of funds in eliminating the dreaded diseases Sickle cell anemia. He informed that his ministry is working in tandem along with other stake holders in eradicating the disease from the nation.

On 1st July 2023, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi had announced his government’s resolve that by the end of 2047, Sickle Cell anemia would be thrashed out from the soil of India.

Acting in line with the vision of the Prime Minister the MoS said his ministry along with other line departments is about to complete screening, testing and other requisites for the eradication of the disease. He said that it is not only a challenge for the medical fraternities it is also a movement of providing social justice to the tribal communities in the nation. He called on the medical fraternities to come forward for realizing the dream of the Prime Minister by eradicating the disease from India.

Meanwhile the Minister of State also interacted with patients of sickle cell anaemia and their families. People from different parts of the country are currently residing and receiving treatment in Delhi, the Minister assured them of all support of Central and state governments; he further assured them about the free availability of all medicines associated with the management of SCD.

Participating in the World Sickle Cell Day program the secretary to the Ministry of Tribal Affairs Shri Vibhu Nayar said that in order to provide effective health care services for the patients who have been suffering of sickle cell & anemia, the government of India has launched Centers of competence (CoC) in 15 tertiary care hospitals, including AIIMS across the country.

He said that it would be functional by the end of November this year and patients would get diagnostic as well as referral facilities soon. These CoCs provide state of the art diagnostic and management of SCD, including ante-natal diagnosis.

Dr (Prof) M. Srinivas the Director AIIMS Delhi has already expressed the commitment of his institution towards health and wellbeing of tribal people and assured full support to the efforts of the Ministry in this respect.

Nayer said these centers are being set up in AIIMS and other medical colleges across the 15 state. He called on the medical fraternities to initiate effort for setting up a course in medical science which could give thrust on the Tribal health. One national specialize reference center on tribal health could be set up in AIIMS New Delhi which could provide assistance to the hospitals located in tribal dominated areas in different states and districts, it could provide clues why malnutrition is occurring despite several measures, it has to examine whether it’s the genetic or any other reason, the secretary added.

Shri. Nayer informed that in the field of medicine we have developed a lot of things, this indicates that in India there is no dearth of mind space, keeping in view these facts government of India proposes to set up a Drug Development prize that could be from Rs 1 core to 10 core, such centers could be set up in collaboration with the AIIMS in New Delhi.

As part of World Sickle Cell Day, mega state level events will be held on 19.06.2025 in all 17 SCD Mission states. District level events will be organized in all 365 districts, where the Mission is operational.

sickle cell diseasehaemoglobinDurgadas UikeyAIIMS Delhi

Ruchika Sharma

Ruchika Sharma joined Medical Dialogue as an Correspondent for the Business Section in 2019. She covers all the updates in the Pharmaceutical field, Policy, Insurance, Business Healthcare, Medical News, Health News, Pharma News, Healthcare and Investment. She has completed her B.Com from Delhi University and then pursued postgraduation in M.Com. She can be contacted at editorial@medicaldialogues.in Contact no. 011-43720751