Kochi: Even as a few senior CPM leaders have raised concerns over use of a generic medicine for patients of Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), the medical fraternity have supported the use of equivalent low cost generic drugs.Patients suffering from SMA, which is a genetic condition causing progressive loss of muscle strength, have gone a back foot following a narrative created by a section including the CPM about effectiveness of the generic drugs, media reports said.The controversy over substituting the high cost Switzerland-based Roche’s SMA drug Evrysdi (Risdiplam) with its generic version, Natsmart, manufactured by Indian firm Natco Pharma, was triggered by CPM leaders and former Health Ministers K K Shailaja, P K Sreemathi and Veena George.  With one group of politicians vouching for expensive Roche’s drugs, a section of parents of patients suffering from SMA are demanding an indepth study about the effectiveness of Indian drug. The Indian Medical Associations are rallying behind the much affordable generic drug which costs only Rs 16,000 per bottle against Rs 5.2 lakh of branded drug Evrysdi.
CPM versus Generic drugs
