bio chat
“We plan to bring first in
line treatment for acute
lymphoblastic leukemia to India”
One of the leading global biotechnology company, Shire headquartered
in Dublin (Ireland,) is focused on serving people with rare diseases
and other highly specialized conditions. Infact, the 80 percent of
company’s annual R&D expenditure is channeled into rare diseases.
In an interaction with the Biovoice News, Mr Vineet Singhal, Country
Head, Shire India shared his detailed views on his company’s activities
as well as the social and policy aspects related to rare diseases.
Read the full interview below:
BY RAHUL KOUL
Provide an overview of the
rare disease conditions in
India. What are the major
challenges and possible
solutions?
There are more than 7000 rare
diseases known or reported
worldwide. It is estimated that
statistically one in 20 Indians may
be affected by one of these 7,000
rare diseases. In a nutshell, about
70 million people in the country are
suffering from some kind of rare
diseases.
Rare diseases include lysosomal
storage disorders, inborn
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BioVoiceNews | October 2017
errors of metabolism, immune
disorder diseases like severe
combined immunodeficiency
or hypogammaglobulinemia,
skeletal dysplasia where bones
are not properly formed, blood-
related disorders, neuromuscular
disorders, and muscular
dystrophies.
The 3As - awareness, accessibility
and affordability, still present
a challenge when it comes to
providing treatment for rare
disease patients in India. The
issue needs to be addressed as
a priority and the primary focus
has to be on increasing awareness