The therapy, named "BIRSA 101", is dedicated to Bhagwan Birsa Munda, whose 150th anniversary was observed few days back and who is remembered as a great tribal freedom fighter

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology; Earth Sciences; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh launched India's first indigenous CRISPR based gene therapy for Sickle Cell Disease, which particularly affects India's tribal population. The therapy, named BIRSA 101 is dedicated to Bhagwan Birsa Munda, whose 150th anniversary was observed few days back and who is remembered as a great tribal freedom fighter.

While announcing this, the minister said that India has formally begun its decisive journey towards becoming a Sickle Cell Disease–free nation, marking a historic turning point in the country’s public health and genomic medicine landscape.

Dr Singh emphasised that the breakthrough, developed at CSIR–Institute of Genomics & Integrative Biology (IGIB), has demonstrated India’s capability to produce pathbreaking therapies at a fraction of global costs, potentially replacing treatments priced at Rs 20–25 crore overseas. He underlined that this innovation carries deep national significance, especially for tribal communities in central and eastern India, where the disease burden is highest.

The event was attended by senior leadership from India’s scientific ecosystem, including Dr N Kalaiselvi, Director General, CSIR; Dr Souvik Maiti, Director, CSIR-IGIB; Dr Umesh Shaligram, Executive Director, Serum Institute of India (SIIPL); and faculty, researchers, and scientists from IGIB, along with invited guests and members of the media.

During the visit, Dr Jitendra Singh inaugurated a new advanced research and translational facility at CSIR-IGIB. He interacted with scientists, reviewed work across genomic medicine programmes, and highlighted the need for integrated national models such as One Week- One Theme, enabling collaborative research across CSIR, DBT, and partner institutes.

A formal technology transfer and collaboration agreement was exchanged between CSIR-IGIB and the Serum Institute of India, enabling translation of IGIB’s engineered enFnCas9 CRISPR platform into scalable, affordable therapies for Sickle Cell Disease and other critical genetic disorders. Dr Singh said this partnership mirrors India’s successful public-private model seen during the development of several vaccines and therapeutics over the past decade. He highlighted that the collaboration ensures that breakthroughs achieved in laboratories do not remain confined to research papers but reach real-world clinical deployment at scale.

Dr Umesh Shaligram, Executive Director, Serum Institute of India, expressed heartfelt gratitude and reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to translating IGIB’s innovation into real-world impact. He said, “Globally, gene therapies cost over three million dollars and are beyond the reach of even the wealthy. Our mission is to take Indian innovation and make it accessible for the poorest of the poor. Serum has saved over 30 million lives through affordable vaccines, and we are fully committed to supporting the Prime Minister’s vision of a Sickle Cell–Free India by 2047. With the energy and encouragement from the Minister, we will dedicate all efforts to translate this technology into saving lives.”