{"id":12617,"date":"2025-12-02T17:43:49","date_gmt":"2025-12-02T12:13:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theeducationoverview.in\/?p=12617"},"modified":"2025-12-02T17:44:14","modified_gmt":"2025-12-02T12:14:14","slug":"union-minister-dr-jitendra-singh-launches-indias-first-indigenous-crispr-based-gene-therapy-for-sickle-cell-disease-which-particularly-affects-indias-tribal-population","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theeducationoverview.in\/?p=12617","title":{"rendered":"\u00a0Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh launches India’s first indigenous “CRISPR” based gene therapy for Sickle Cell Disease, which particularly affects India’s tribal population"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh launches India’s first indigenous “CRISPR” based gene therapy for Sickle Cell Disease, which particularly affects India’s tribal population<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n


\nThe therapy, named “BIRSA 101”, is dedicated to Bhagwan Birsa Munda, whose 150th anniversary was observed few days back and who is remembered as a great tribal freedom fighter<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

India Begins Decisive Journey Toward a Sickle Cell\u2013Free Nation as Dr. Jitendra Singh Unveils Indigenous breakthrough<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

CSIR-IGIB and Serum Institute Sign Technology Transfer Agreement for Affordable Gene Therapies<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Public\u2013Private Partnership Strengthens as Serum Institute Commits to Accessible Gene Therapy for All<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

India Sets New Milestone in Atmanirbhar Bharat with World-Class, Low-Cost Gene Editing Solutions<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Posted On: 19 NOV 2025 5:36PM by PIB Delhi<\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n
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Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology; Earth Sciences; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh today launched India’s first indigenous “CRISPR” based gene therapy for Sickle Cell Disease, which particularly affects India’s tribal population. The therapy, named “BIRSA 101” is dedicated to Bhagwan Birsa Munda, whose 150th anniversary was observed few days back and who is remembered as a great tribal freedom fighter.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

While announcing this, the Minister said that India has formally begun its decisive journey towards becoming a Sickle Cell Disease\u2013free nation, marking a historic turning point in the country\u2019s public health and genomic medicine landscape.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The Minister said that with the development and transfer of India\u2019s first indigenous CRISPR-based gene therapy, the nation has taken a major step toward fulfilling the Prime Minister Sh. Narendra Modi\u2019s vision of a Sickle Cell\u2013Free India by 2047, while simultaneously advancing the goal of Atmanirbhar Bharat in frontline medical technologies.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Dr. Jitendra Singh emphasised that the breakthrough, developed at CSIR\u2013Institute of Genomics & Integrative Biology (IGIB), has demonstrated India\u2019s capability to produce pathbreaking therapies at a fraction of global costs, potentially replacing treatments priced at \u20b920\u201325 crore overseas. He underlined that this innovation carries deep national significance, especially for tribal communities in central and eastern India, where the disease burden is highest.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The event was attended by senior leadership from India\u2019s scientific ecosystem, including Dr. N. Kalaiselvi, Director General, CSIR; Dr. Souvik Maiti, Director, CSIR-IGIB; Dr. Umesh Shaligram, Executive Director, Serum Institute of India (SIIPL); and faculty, researchers, and scientists from IGIB, along with invited guests and members of the media.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Addressing the gathering, Dr. Jitendra Singh said that the indigenous CRISPR platform, named BIRSA 101 in honour of Bhagwan Birsa Munda- marks a scientific milestone that positions India among global leaders in advanced therapeutics. Explaining the gene-editing approach in simple terms, he said the technology works like a \u201cprecise genetic surgery\u201d, capable not only of curing Sickle Cell Disease but also transforming treatment pathways for several hereditary disorders.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

He urged scientific institutions to communicate breakthroughs in simple language through infographics and social media, ensuring the public fully understands the significance of these advancements.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Dr. Jitendra Singh praised the growing synergy between government scientific institutions and Indian industry, especially the Serum Institute of India. He said such partnerships have already delivered globally recognised achievements- including COVID-19, HPV and other critical vaccines, and will now accelerate India\u2019s leadership in gene therapy.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

He emphasised that the Government alone cannot shoulder the entire burden of biotechnology expansion, and industry participation is essential for scale, affordability, and global competitiveness.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

During the visit, Dr. Jitendra Singh inaugurated a new advanced research and translational facility at CSIR-IGIB. He interacted with scientists, reviewed work across genomic medicine programmes, and highlighted the need for integrated national models such as One Week- One Theme, enabling collaborative research across CSIR, DBT, and partner institutes.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

A formal technology transfer and collaboration agreement was exchanged between CSIR-IGIB and the Serum Institute of India Pvt. Ltd., enabling translation of IGIB\u2019s engineered enFnCas9 CRISPR platform into scalable, affordable therapies for Sickle Cell Disease and other critical genetic disorders. Dr. Singh said this partnership mirrors India\u2019s successful public-private model seen during the development of several vaccines and therapeutics over the past decade. He highlighted that the collaboration ensures that breakthroughs achieved in laboratories do not remain confined to research papers but reach real-world clinical deployment at scale.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The Minister said that the transfer of BIRSA 101 and the CRISPR platform to a world-leading manufacturer like Serum Institute guarantees affordability, scalability, and global-standard manufacturing pathways- ensuring that advanced gene-editing cures become accessible for Indian patients, especially among underserved tribal populations.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Dr. Jitendra Singh concluded that the breakthroughs witnessed today reaffirm India\u2019s scientific capabilities, as seen in the rapid development of vaccines, antibiotics, and now gene therapies. He urged scientific institutions, private partners, and policy agencies to work in a unified \u201cOne Week\u2013One Theme\u201d approach to accelerate outcomes and ensure constant visibility of India\u2019s scientific progress.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The Minister said India\u2019s journey\u2014from being dependent on imported biomedical technologies to becoming a global leader in drug development, vaccines, and now CRISPR therapeutics\u2014is a testament to the visionary leadership of the Hon\u2019ble Prime Minister and the growing confidence of Indian science on the world stage.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe are no longer just adopting global technologies; we are creating them. The world will now look to India for the future of affordable, cutting-edge healthcare,\u201d the Minister said.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Umesh Shaligram, Executive Director, Serum Institute of India, expressed heartfelt gratitude and reaffirmed the organisation\u2019s commitment to translating IGIB\u2019s innovation into real-world impact. He said:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cGlobally, gene therapies cost over three million dollars and are beyond the reach of even the wealthy. Our mission is to take Indian innovation and make it accessible for the poorest of the poor. Serum has saved over 30 million lives through affordable vaccines, and we are fully committed to supporting the Prime Minister\u2019s vision of a Sickle Cell\u2013Free India by 2047. With the energy and encouragement from the Minister, we will dedicate all efforts to translate this technology into saving lives.\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

He added that Serum Institute would continue working closely with IGIB and CSIR to ensure that innovative therapies reach those who need them most.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh launches India’s first indigenous “CRISPR” based gene therapy for Sickle Cell Disease, which particularly affects India’s tribal population The therapy, named “BIRSA 101”, is dedicated to Bhagwan Birsa Munda, whose 150th anniversary was observed few days back and who is remembered as a great tribal freedom fighter India Begins Decisive …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":12618,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12617","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-education-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/theeducationoverview.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12617","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/theeducationoverview.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/theeducationoverview.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theeducationoverview.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theeducationoverview.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=12617"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/theeducationoverview.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12617\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12620,"href":"https:\/\/theeducationoverview.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12617\/revisions\/12620"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theeducationoverview.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/12618"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/theeducationoverview.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=12617"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theeducationoverview.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=12617"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theeducationoverview.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=12617"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}