A mother in Bengaluru is desperately trying to raise funds through crowdfunding for a single dose of Zolgensma. Later, Bengaluru Baptist Hospital provided free, expensive gene therapy, Zolgensma, for her child through a lottery system. A person wondering about the drug cost can be surprised at first glance. A one-time dose of Zolgensma, which causes a genetic change in the body, can cost Rs 16crore ($17,92,900). Yes, you read it right, SMA treatment costs in India are 16 crore rupees($17,92,900). Zolgensma, which replaces the defective SMN1 gene, is one of the most expensive injections in the world. If you are looking for the spinal muscular atrophy treatment cost in India, then this blog is very helpful for you. In this blog, we will discuss the treatment cost of spinal muscular atrophy in different cities of India.
Spinal Muscular Atrophy is a rare genetic (inherited) neuromuscular disorder that affects children and infants. This disease mainly affects the central and peripheral nervous system and the brain. Spinal muscular atrophy is caused by the loss of motor neurons that control muscle movement. The loss of lower motor neurons leads to progressive muscle weakness and muscle wasting in the body. However, this disease affects the nervous system that controls the movement of muscles and influences breathing and swallowing. Symptoms of this disease included loss of control over movement and strength. The most successful treatment for spinal muscular atrophy is gene therapy.
Cost of Spinal Muscular Atrophy Treatment in India
Spinal muscular atrophy treatment in India can range between 2.5-17 crores ($2,80,150-$19,05,000). But this treatment can vary and depend on many factors, such as the type of treatment and import duties on medicine. However, this cost does not include accommodation and other additional costs.
Cost Breakdown of Spinal Muscular Atrophy Treatment in India
Here is the cost breakdown of spinal muscular atrophy treatment in India:
| Type of Treatment | Description | Estimated cost in India |
| Gene Therapy(Zolgensma) | This therapy is given one-time to the patient through the vein. | 16-18 crore ($17,92,950-$20,17,000) |
| Spinraza (Nusinersen) | It is given through intrathecal injection into the surrounding fluid of the spinal cord. | It cost 4.2 crore ($4,70,600) in the first year of treatment. After that, it costs 2.1 crore ($2,24,100) yearly. |
| Risdiplam (Evrysdi) | This medicine is given orally to the patient every day. | It costs 72 lakh ($80,700) per year. |
| Supportive & Rehabilitation Care | It includes physiotherapy and respiratory support. | It costs 1-3 lakh ($1,120-$3,300) per year |
Factors Affecting the Cost of Spinal Muscular Atrophy Treatment in India
Given below are some factors that affect the spinal muscular atrophy treatment cost in India:
- Cost of Medication: Various medicines are used in the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy. The cost of these medicines varies due to the type of administration, research and development, and manufacturing costs.
- Condition of Patient: The complications of the disease and the patient’s overall health can also influence the cost of treatment indirectly.
- Government Subsidies: Various Government schemes are available for the treatment of this SMA, which reduce the overall cost of treatment.
- Crowdfunding: Some Crowdfunding platforms, such as ImpactGuru and Ketto, help families to raise funds for the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy. These reduce the lot of financial burden on the families of patients.
- Treatment Duration: Duration of treatment affects the total cost of spinal muscular atrophy treatment. A longer duration of treatment results in a higher cumulative cost.
- Doctor Expertise: A highly skilled neurologist with decades of experience generally charges higher fees for the treatment.
- Medical Tourism Packages: A lot of selected packages for international patients that with various services at discounted prices are offered by various companies. This offer also influences the overall cost of treatment for these patients.
Why Choose India for Spinal Muscular Atrophy Treatment?
Given below are some important points in favour of choosing India for spinal muscular atrophy treatment:
- Lower Treatment Cost: Spinal Muscular Atrophy Treatment Cost in India is much lower compared to Western and other developing countries. This made India a top destination for the spinal muscular atrophy treatment. Due to low treatment costs, parents can manage the overall expenses of SMA in India.
- Drug Availability: Medicines of SMA are hardly accessible globally. It requires certain permissions to access it. As we know, India is the top global supplier of medicines. In India, it is not hard to access the SMA medicine for the patient. The government of India also permits certain other generic medicines for the treatment of SMA.
- Top-notch Facilities: Indian hospitals provide the latest techniques to treat SMA, which help in the reliable and positive outcomes of treatment.
- Experienced Doctors: India has highly skilled and experienced doctors in the field of neurology. These doctors are well-reputed to handle the rarest disease, like SMA.
Cost of Spinal Muscular Atrophy Treatment in Different Cities of India
Spinal muscular atrophy treatment cost varies in the different cities of India. These cost varies due to various factors such as geographical location, hospital expenses, and availability of subsidies and insurance. Below are the approximate costs of spinal muscular atrophy treatment across major cities of India:
| Cities | Costs |
| Delhi | 15,75,00,000 INR ($1,764,000) |
| Gurgaon | 15,85,00,000 INR ($1,776,000) |
| Banglore | 15,75,00,000 INR ($1,766,000) |
| Mumbai | 15,90,00,000 INR ($1,785,000) |
| Hyderabad | 15,75,00,000 INR ($1,764,500) |
| Chennai | 15,85,00,000 INR ($1,775,000) |
| Kolkata | 15,75,00,000 INR ($1,763,000) |
Government Schemes and Subsidies available for the Spinal Muscular Atrophy Treatment in India
There are various national and state-level schemes available in India to treat SMA. National Policy for Rare Diseases (NPRD) provides up to 50 lakh ($56,000) financial assistance for the treatment of rare diseases, including SMA. Also full waiver of customs duty and GST is given on the imported drugs that are used in the treatment of SMA. The central government also spends 50 lakh ($56,000) per patient annually to reduce the financial burden on the family.
AIIMS also received a lot amount of funding from the government for rare disease care, such as SMA. The government also encourages crowdfunding as a secondary way to give financial assistance to the patient. So that a good amount of fundraising reduces a lot of the financial burden on the parents.
Conclusion
Spinal muscular atrophy is a rare disease that affects the patient physically as well as financially. The treatment of these diseases is very expensive. However, several cheaper medicines are also available, but they require lifelong treatment for the patient with this disease.
There are also several factors that affect the spinal muscular atrophy treatment cost in India, such as treatment duration. The government also provides several financial assistance programs for this rare disease. I hope this blog helps you to understand the cost breakdown of spinal muscular atrophy treatment in India. As well as provide financial tips to cut the cost of these rare diseases.