India could implement its learnings from the rapid progress it made from developing various candidates for the covid vaccine to lead the charge for the discovery of drugs for other rare diseases, said NITI Aayog member Dr. Vinod Paul.
Speaking specifically about orphan drugs, Paul said that with the support of the government, remedies for rare diseases can be discovered in India, which can then benefit the entire world.
“India should be a powerhouse of these drugs, and not only for India but also for much of the world, which, like us, are unable to afford and make access possible for children suffering from these diseases, that’s one area where we would like us to make a huge effort,” Paul said while speaking at Global Bio-India 2021, an event organised by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT).
Orphan drugs are pharmaceuticals used to treat incredibly rare diseases. Due to their nature, pharma companies usually do not put in the resources to develop them on their own since they can never recover their costs.
Speaking about India’s rapid development of candidates for the covid-19 vaccine, Paul said, “Over a period of 10 to 12 weeks there were 96 Indian diagnostics on the market, and the first one came on within three weeks of the start time.”
“They embraced the most advanced technologies, such as the CRISPR technology. And therefore, it is evident that things can happen in a very speedy manner,” he added.
