Latest news with #ManishaMadkaikar
Hans India
24-06-2025
- Health
- Hans India
Dire need to identify new drugs for patients with sickle cell disease: ICMR scientist
New Delhi: Identifying new drugs for patients with sickle cell disease is very important, said a senior scientist at the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). Speaking to IANS, Dr. Manisha Madkaikar, Director of ICMR- Centre for Research Management and Control of Haemoglobinopathies (CRHCM) in Nagpur, shared that among many drugs only hydroxyurea therapy has so far been effective. Hydroxyurea has also been included in the National Health Mission's essential drugs list. However, the drug remains ineffective in many patients, prompting the need to find new and better treatments. 'We have known sickle cell disease for now so many decades. But it is only hydroxyurea therapy that has stood the test of time. Hydroxyurea significantly helps in improving the quality of life and complications in sickle cell disease patients,' Madkaikar said. 'However, there are some patients who do not respond to hydroxyurea therapy. Another drawback with hydroxyurea therapy is the patients have to take treatment lifelong, so that is the reason why a better drug is something which is desired, a better mode of therapy is desired,' she told IANS. The ICMR scientist said this even as the government, last week, announced an award of Rs 10 crore to develop a drug for the treatment of sickle cell disease. The tribal affairs ministry, in collaboration with the AIIMS-Delhi, will undertake a competition for the development of the drug. The selected proposal will be funded up to Rs 10 crore, said Union Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Durgadas Uikey at an event to mark World Sickle Cell Day in the national capital. Uikey also announced the institution of the Bhagwan Birsa Munda Prize for the development of a drug to treat the disease. Sickle cell disease is a genetic disorder mostly prevalent in districts with high tribal populations. About one in 86 births among STs have sickle cell disease which affects haemoglobin in red blood cells, resulting in morbidity and mortality. Madkaikar noted that there is a lot of research going on apart from bone marrow transplantation and gene therapy, which is available outside India but currently not available in India. 'We do not have any other drug which has shown promise like hydroxyurea therapy. So, there is a lot of scope or there is a lot of need for identifying such medicines which will transform the lives of patients with sickle cell disease,' the scientists said.
Hans India
24-06-2025
- Health
- Hans India
Newborn screening programme for sickle cell reduced death rate to below 5 pc: ICMR-CRMCH
New Delhi: Newborn screening programme for sickle cell disease (SCD), undertaken between 2019-2024, reduced mortality risk to below 5 per cent from the earlier 20 to 30 per cent, said Dr. Manisha Madkaikar, Director of ICMR- Centre for Research Management and Control of Haemoglobinopathies (CRHCM) in Nagpur. Speaking to IANS, Madkaikar explained how the Newborn Screening Programme 2019-2024 found that an early diagnosis can significantly boost the outcomes of the chronic, single-gene disorder. SCD is a chronic, single-gene disorder that causes a debilitating systemic syndrome characterised by chronic anaemia, acute painful episodes, organ infarction, and chronic organ damage, significantly reducing life expectancy. The genetic blood disorder affects the entire life of the patient, as it leads to various severe health complications. 'Newborn screening programme is recommended for sickle cell disease because as early you diagnose the sickle cell disease, you can initiate comprehensive care in the form of penicillin prophylaxis, some vitamins, appropriate vaccination, and then hydroxyurea therapy,' Madkaikar told IANS. 'Our newborn screening has shown that comprehensive care could be given early to patients, it has significantly brought down the mortality which was earlier mortality rate was reported to be around 20 to 30 per cent, this has brought down the mortality risk less than 5 per cent,' she added. In a study, conducted by the ICMR-National Institute of Immunohaematology (NIIH) in Mumbai, about 63,536 newborns were tested for a period of five years. Of the total newborns tested, 57 per cent belonged to tribal parents, while 43 per cent were from non-tribals. The yet-to-be-published study identified 546 cases of sickle cell disease. The study was led across seven centres in high prevalence areas of India, namely Udaipur (Rajasthan), Bharuch (Gujarat), Palghar, Chandrapur and Ghadchiroli (Maharashtra), Mandla and Dhindori (Madhya Pradesh), Nabrangpur and Kandhamal (Odisha), and the Nilgiris (Tamil Nadu). Centres in Gujarat reported the highest number of SCD cases (134), followed by Maharashtra (127), Odisha (126). Other centres with SCD cases include Madhya Pradesh (97), Rajasthan (41), and Tamil Nadu (21). Mortality due to SCD was identified in 22 cases (4.15 per cent), revealed the study. 'The study showed that early intervention definitely helps, it also helps in cascade screening as you identify one baby with the sickle cell disease, you counsel the family, you test the family members, and it helps in further diagnosis of existing patients as well as prevention of further birth of further the disease. So, newborn screening activity must be done for all the newborns in sickle cell prevalent areas,' Madkaikar told IANS.
Time of India
22-06-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Rare blood types hard to find? New ICMR registry could change that
New Delhi: The National Institute of Immunohaematology in Mumbai under the India Council of Medical Research has for the first time created a national 'rare blood donor registry' for patients with rare and uncommon blood types who need frequent transfusion especially in conditions such as thalassemia and sickle cell disease. The ICMR-NIIH is now in talks with the Director General of Health Services (DGHS) so that the rare donor registry portal can be integrated with e-Raktakosh, a platform which currently provides information about blood availability, Dr Manisha Madkaikar, Director of ICMR-Centre for Research Management and Control of Haemoglobinopathies (CRHCM) in Nagpur said. The integration will help people with rare blood groups easily trace blood banks and procure blood. It will also assist the blood banks manage their stock and donors through a centralised system. India, with a population of more than 142 crore, has over 4,000 licensed blood banks, according to the Central Drug Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO). India relies heavily on transfusions due to a higher prevalence of blood diseases and complications during pregnancy, Dr Madkaikar said. "Thalassemia itself contributes to 1 to 1.5 lakh patients who require recurrent transfusions," she said. Additionally, with more than 1,200 road accidents occurring every day in India, and with every year 60 million surgeries, 240 million major operations, 331 million cancer-related procedures, and 10 million pregnancy complications, a serious call for blood transfusion is recognised, she said. In majority of blood banks in India , only ABO and RhD are antigens matched prior to cross-matching for issuing of red blood cell components. However, the International Society of Blood Transfusion (ISBT) has recognised more than 360 antigens in 47 blood group systems. Blood banks do not perform testing of these minor blood group antigens routinely, explained Dr Madkaikar. "As a result, a mismatch of minor antigens between donor and patient blood group (BG) profiles can lead to red cell alloimmunization (1-3 per cent in the general population, 8-18 per cent in thalassaemic patients). About 25 per cent of all immunized patients have been reported to receive unsatisfactory transfusion support due to presence of multiple antibodies or antibodies to high frequency antigens (HFA)," she said. Rare blood groups are those which lack HFA (1:1000 or less), or are negative for a combination of common antigens, or have a null phenotype. "Meeting a demand for rare blood supply is challenging and time consuming for such patients. The need of a patient for rare blood can be the start of a series of events that may extend beyond the local blood centre and become a national or even an international search," Dr Madkaikar said. To overcome this challenge, an inventory of extensively typed blood donors and rare blood type donors is required, she said. For this, internationally 27 countries have operational national rare donor registry programmes. India, however, is not a contributor country, she said. In 2019, however, ICMR -NIIH was granted Centre of Excellence project under the aegis of ICMR, where an initiative was taken to screen 4,000 'O' group regular blood donors for all clinically important antigens using high throughput molecular assays, from four different regions of India in collaboration with the big blood banks from KEM Hospital Mumbai, PGIMER Chandigarh, MCH Kolkatta and JIPMER Puducherry. "More than 600 donors negative for combination of antigens were identified along with 250 very rare blood group donors. The registry also includes 170 Bombay blood group donors, which is the commonly required rare blood type in India (approx 120-150 units/year). To access this inventory (ICMR-Rare Donor Registry of India (RDRI)), a web-based portal has been developed for systematic requisition and provision of blood to patients on time," Dr Madkaikar said. "There is a plan to integrate this rare donor registry with e-Raktakosh of DGHS so that all the blood banks can contribute their rare donors and help in expansion of the registry. Last month we held a meeting with the DGHS," she said.
Hans India
22-06-2025
- Health
- Hans India
ICMR's affordable test kits boost diagnosis of genetic blood disorders in India
New Delhi: Simple and affordable point-of-care (POC) test kits, developed by scientists at the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), are enhancing the diagnosis of genetic blood disorders like Haemophilia A, von Willebrand disease (VWD) and sickle cell disease (SCD) in the country. Haemophilia A, VWD, and SCD are serious inherited bleeding disorders, which often go undiagnosed because the testing is expensive and only available at a few specialised hospitals. India bears a significant burden from Haemophilia A. Estimates suggest around 136,000 individuals are affected, but only a small fraction are diagnosed and registered. While the prevalence of VWD in India is estimated at 1 per 12,000 in some regions, limited studies suggest a 10 per cent prevalence among inherited bleeding disorders. In the case of SCD, the disease is particularly prevalent in India, especially among the tribal population (57 per cent), though it also affects non-tribals (43 per cent). 'We have now multiple tests that are made in India and can diagnose blood disorders. That is something we all should be proud of,' Dr Manisha Madkaikar, Director, ICMR-Centre for Research, Management, and Control of Haemoglobinopathies (CRMCH) in Chandrapur district of Maharashtra, told IANS. ICMR-National Institute of Immunohaematology (NIIH) developed a POC test kit for diagnosing Haemophilia A, VWD, which can also be used at primary health centres (PHCs), bringing diagnosis closer to the people who need it most. Notably, 'the POC test costs just Rs 582 per patient, while the current lab-based tests cost around Rs. 2,086. Using this kit could help detect over 83,000 undiagnosed cases,' Madkaikar said, adding that the kits can 'save the health system about Rs 42 crore -- three times cheaper than the current method'. These tests are being integrated into the national health programme at the PHC level in different states. 'Using the cost-effective POC kits at PHCs and other local health centres can help India find and treat bleeding disorders early, improve patient outcomes, and cut healthcare costs dramatically,' the senior scientist said. In addition, 'the World Federation for Hemophilia has also shown interest in procuring these tests for deployment in countries where the disease is prevalent,' Madkaikar said. Further, to support the fight against SCD, ICMR-NIIH in Mumbai and CRMCH in Chhattisgarh have been officially chosen by the government to test and approve new diagnostic kits. "So far, they have checked and approved 30 different kits, including simple tests that can be done on the spot (like finger-prick tests); lab-based tests like HPLC; and tests that detect the disease at the genetic level," said Madkaikar, adding that these test kits may play a key role in the national screening programme for SCD that targets a population of 7 crore in the country. While the initial manufacturer's quote for the diagnostic test was Rs 350 per test, a comprehensive analysis by ICMR determined that POC tests for sickle cell disease/trait among the high-risk population in India would be cost-effective if procured at Rs 100 per test or below. Subsequently, the new kits validated by ICMR-NIIH are priced below Rs 50 per test. 'When the national sickle cell elimination mission was to be launched, we had only two point of care tests, which were recommended under the nation, and both of them were paid outside, and the cost of that was nearly 350 rupees," Madkaikar said. "But now multiple indigenous companies have come up with their point of care test. We now have different tests, right from solubility to point-of-care to molecular -- all made in India and easily available," the scientist said.
India Gazette
22-06-2025
- Health
- India Gazette
7 crore people under 40 to be screened for sickle cell disease by 2025-26 across 17 states: ICMR
By Shalini Bhardwaj Chandrapur (Maharashtra) [India], June 22 (ANI): As part of the National Sickle Cell Elimination Mission under the National Health Mission (NHM), the government aims to screen 7 crore people under the age of 40 for sickle cell disease by 2025-26 across 17 states, with a primary focus on tribal populations. The list of these states includes Maharashtra, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Rajasthan, etc. Speaking to ANI about the National Sickle Cell Elimination Mission 2047 programme, Dr Manisha Madkaikar, Director of ICMR-CRHCM, Nagpur, said, 'The National Sickle Cell Elimination Mission has given the guidelines. The first is universal screening -- in areas with a very high prevalence of sickle cell disease, the entire population under the age of 40 is screened. Currently, the plan is to screen nearly seven crore individuals for sickle cell disease.' She also highlighted the importance of newborn screening. 'We can test for sickle cell disease as soon as a newborn is born. Newborn screening is important because if you diagnose newborns early, you can give them effective treatment,' she explained. Regarding antenatal screening, she said, 'In antenatal screening, the first visit is an ideal time to screen a pregnant woman. If she is found to be a carrier or affected, we can test her partner. If both are carriers for sickle cell disease, we can counsel them about testing the fetus before 20 weeks' gestational age. If the fetus is affected, the couple can consider options regarding sickle cell disease and the decision about pregnancy termination is left solely to the patients and their family.' Commenting on the advancements in testing kits for sickle cell disease, she said there is a growing need for large-scale, reliable tools. 'India has seen a lot of advancement in the development of diagnostic kits. We have developed indigenously made point-of-care tests in the past two to three years. ICMR-NIH and CRHCM have tested around 35 such kits, identifying those suitable for use in screening. These include point-of-care tests, simple molecular diagnostic tools, and solubility tests, all of which are now validated and made available under the programme,' she said. (ANI)
