India achieves breakthrough in gene therapy for Haemophilia

Bengaluru’s BRIC-inStem institute has achieved a breakthrough in gene therapy for Haemophilia, union minister for science and technology, Dr Jitendra Singh said after a review of of the institute’s ongoing trials in collaboration with premier medical institutes and hospitals.

The minister hailed BRIC-inStem’s first human gene therapy trial for Haemophilia, conducted in collaboration with the Christian Medial College (Vellore), calling it a revolution in regenerative healthcare and a milestone in India’s scientific journey.

Achievement like these have helped the Department of Biotechnology stay relevant and underscored the strategic importance of biotechnology in shaping India’s future economy and public health infrastructure, the minister pointed out.

He said the biotechnology sector in India has grown 16-fold in the past decade to reach $165.7 billion in 2024, and is expected to grow further to reach $300 billion by 2030. 

The minister said that policy reforms, including the recently approved BIO-E3 Policy, have given a big push to the biotechnology sector besides giving a boost to the economy, employment, and environment, adding that the number of biotech startups in India has increased to over 10,000 compared to just 50 a decade ago.

Dr Jitendra Singh said the creation of the Biotechnology Research and Innovation Council (BRIC) has helped bring together 14 autonomous institutions under one umbrella. 

BRIC-inStem, with its cutting-edge Biosafety Level III laboratory, has made lab-to-life contributions like the germicidal anti-viral mask during the Covid-19 pandemic and the ‘Kisan Kavach’ that protects farmers from neurotoxic pesticides.

The institute has recently also launched a Centre for Research Application and Training in Embryology (CreATE) for advance research into the issue of birth defects and infertility, with a view to improving maternal and neonatal health, the minister pointed out.