First-of-its-kind treatment for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia developed -Governance Now

First-of-its-kind treatment for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia developed

Tata Memorial, IDRS Labs develop an oral suspension to be available soon

Geetanjali Minhas | December 29, 2023 | Mumbai

#Health #Healthcare #cancer

Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai, the Advanced Centre for Training Research and Education in Cancer (ACTREC), Navi Mumbai along with IDRS Labs, Bangalore have developed an oral suspension of 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP) in India. 6-MP is a chemotherapy drug used in the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), the most common type of blood cancer afflicting children.

The first and only child-friendly formulation is available in the form of a powder for oral suspension, and marketed under the tradename ‘PREVALL’.

PREVALL can be reconstituted into 100 ml oral suspension at a concentration of 10mg/ml. It is available with a syringe and a press in bottle adapter (PIBA) for precise dosing tailored to the patient’s body weight or body surface area.

It has been approval by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) under the ministry of health and family welfare, government of India. Tata Memorial Centre and IDRS Labs jointly published the results of the clinical study that lead to regulatory approval in the scientific journal Pediatric Blood and Cancer recently.

PREVALL, the dry powder pharmaceutical suspension of 6-mercaptopurine, is a patented technology of IDRS Labs Private Limited and will be available in all major hospital pharmacies across the country very soon. Approximately 10,000 children in the age group of 1-10 years diagnosed with ALL are expected to benefit from PREVALL each year.

Dr. Vikram, Professor of Clinical Pharmacology, ACTREC, said that the powder for oral suspension is designed to ensure stability of the drug in hot/humid conditions and is quite distinct from the liquid formulation available elsewhere in the world.

Dr. Sudeep Gupta, Director, Tata Memorial Centre, Mumbai, said that TMC is committed to fostering innovation, citing the example of CAR-T cell therapy which was also pioneered by TMC recently in a similar collaborative effort.

Dr. Ajit Kumar Mohanty, Secretary Department of Atomic Energy, and Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission, said the development is an outcome of the convergence of academia and industry interests to bridge the gap between unmet need and innovation in healthcare.

Comments

Other News

Here’s an I.D.E.A. for career growth and success

Success in today’s professional organisation is no longer solely determined by academic qualifications, technical expertise or years of experience. While these attributes do matter, organisations increasingly value individuals who demonstrate the right mindset and behavioural qualities. The ability

PM interacts with CEOs, founders of space startups

Prime minister Narendra Modi interacted with CEOs and Founders of 20 Space Startups at Seva Teerth on Friday. CEOs of leading companies in the space sector working in diverse fields ranging from building rockets and reusable semi-cryogenic launch vehicles, avionics, satelli

From one cow to a dairy business

In 2012, Anita Dash wasn`t dreaming of building a dairy brand. She wasn`t studying business models or planning market expansion. Like countless mothers across India, her focus was on something much simpler: giving her children a better future. At the time, her most valuable

Ethanol blending: The two sides of a story

India`s crude oil consumption is estimated to be around 88.5% imported from abroad. This one single figure is also responsible for why ethanol has become both an economic strategy and fuel policy at the same time. In an economy like India, which depends so heavily on foreign oil, any increase in internat

Food inflation: Not a macroeconomic statistic but a developmental indicator

India`s retail inflation shows a reassuring picture at first glance. According to the latest data, Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation edged up to 4.38% in June 2026 from 3.93% in May 2026, but continued to remain within the Reserve Bank of India`s (RBI) target band of 4% (+/- 2%). However, beneath this

Skin in the game or masterful market timing?

When a company founder opens their personal chequebook to buy shares in their own business, stock markets usually applaud. To the average retail investor, it feels like the ultimate vote of confidence, a sign that the people running the show have real skin in the game and believe brighter days are ahead.