Kerala Defends Cheaper SMA Drug Amid Label Row and Opposition Attack

Kerala Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan on Monday defended the state's decision to supply a cheaper, India-made medicine for children with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), rejecting opposition objections and praising the health department's efforts.

Speaking in the Assembly, Satheesan asked what harm there was in selling medicine at a low price to poor children. He further questioned whether the opposition's real objection was to the steep fall in treatment costs.

He said the price of a 12-day dose, which was about Rs 65 lakh earlier, has come down to Rs 15,000. Satheesan congratulated Health Minister K. Muraleedharan and the health department for achieving this price reduction.

The row began after packets of the Indian-made generic drug given to children at the Sree Avittom Thirunal (SAT) Hospital in Thiruvananthapuram were found labelled 'Physician's Sample' and 'For Clinical Trials Only.' These labels worried parents, who feared their children were receiving medicines meant only for trials.

The opposition, including three former CPI(M) health ministers, has questioned the drug's safety and the procurement process. The government says the generic version made by Natco Pharma in Hyderabad and sold as NatSmart has expert endorsement and regulatory approval. The health department has said the disputed labels were on sample stock sent during a temporary shortage.

Muraleedharan told the Assembly that Rs 50 crore is still due for drugs purchased during the previous Pinarayi Vijayan government. He said the supply of the SMA drug at a lower price would continue, adding that affordable treatment would help more children get access to it.

Taking aim at critics, he also said that after becoming minister he had not developed the habit of hiring his daughter-in-law as a cook.

The issue has grown into a major political flashpoint. The opposition is demanding answers about the labelled medicine, while the government maintains that the low-cost generic supply will go on. SMA is a rare genetic disorder that causes gradual muscle weakness, and since treatment is expensive, access to affordable drugs is a major concern for affected families.