Thiruvananthapuram: In a striking contrast to the CPM’s current opposition to generic drugs for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) patients, records show that the previous LDF government itself had initiated discussions on procuring Natco Pharma’s low-cost generic drug.

It was an expert committee constituted under then health minister Veena George, which had initiated the discussions and recommended procuring the drug. The same experts continue to serve on the panel. The records also show that Cure SMA, an organisation representing a section of SMA patients, had insisted on procuring only Roche Pharma’s drug. The organisation has collaborated with the Swiss pharmaceutical company on several fronts.

The Delhi High Court cleared the sale of Natco’s generic drug in October 2025, a decision later upheld by the Supreme Court. The drug entered the Indian market soon afterwards. However, Kerala’s expert committee took up the matter for discussion only on February 12.

The meeting noted that Natco’s drug was available in the Indian market for around ₹11,000. It also considered a letter from Cure SMA seeking the continued use of Roche’s risdiplam for both existing and newly diagnosed patients. The committee then decided to seek clarification on Natco’s generic drug from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO).

At its next meeting on April 6, the committee discussed Natco’s drug in detail. Experts noted that the generic version cost just one-tenth as much as Roche’s drug. However, pending a response from the CDSCO, the committee recommended continuing procurement from Roche Pharma for another three months.

Five days after the UDF government took office, the committee again recommended procuring the generic drug. The minutes noted that the Drug Controller General of India had already granted marketing approval for Natco’s drug and that separate studies on its safety and efficacy were not required as it was a generic medicine.

Doctors at institutions such as the Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences in Lucknow were also using the drug and had found it effective, the minutes stated. They also noted that doctors in Kerala were recommending it as an immediate alternative.

Public health expert Dr V Ramankutty said he was surprised by the Left’s current opposition to generic medicines for SMA patients.

"In the 1980s, the Left organised intense agitations demanding cheaper generic medicines. I was also part of those struggles. The same Left is now denouncing generic medicines. Kerala is procuring a drug approved by the Supreme Court and the country’s drug regulator. The media should not create a misconception by believing claims that drug trials are being conducted. Drug trials are not something that can be undertaken so easily. They must comply with numerous stringent standards,” he said.