India Launches First Indigenous CRISPR-Based Gene Therapy for Sickle Cell Disease

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology, Dr. Jitendra Singh, launched India’s first indigenous CRISPR-based gene therapy for Sickle Cell Disease (SCD). The therapy is named “BIRSA 101” in honour of Bhagwan Birsa Munda, commemorating his 150th anniversary.

• Targeting Tribal Populations

• Sickle Cell Disease disproportionately affects India’s tribal communities.
• The therapy represents a major step toward the Prime Minister’s vision of a Sickle Cell–Free India by 2047.

• CRISPR Technology: A Precise Genetic Tool

• The indigenous CRISPR platform, enFnCas9, works like “precise genetic surgery,” capable of correcting the genetic mutation causing SCD.
• It also has potential to transform treatment pathways for multiple hereditary disorders, marking India’s entry among global leaders in advanced therapeutics.

• Public-Private Collaboration

• A technology transfer and collaboration agreement was signed between CSIR-IGIB and the Serum Institute of India Pvt. Ltd.
• This partnership enables scalable, affordable production of the therapy for SCD and other genetic disorders.
• Dr. Singh highlighted that this mirrors India’s successful public-private model previously used for vaccines and therapeutics.

• Ensuring Accessibility and Scalability

• By collaborating with a world-leading manufacturer, BIRSA 101 will follow global-standard manufacturing pathways.
• The initiative ensures that advanced gene-editing cures reach real-world patients, particularly in underserved tribal populations, making therapy both affordable and widely available.

• Significance

• The launch is a scientific milestone for India, advancing the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat in frontier medical technologies.
• It promises a new era of gene therapy, offering hope to patients with Sickle Cell Disease and potentially other genetic disorders.

Source: PIB