CMC Vellore completes India's first-in-human gene therapy trial for Hemophilia A; Jitendra Singh opens symposium
On 10 October 2025 Dr Jitendra Singh virtually inaugurated the 10th Cell and Gene Therapy Symposium at CMC Vellore, Tamil Nadu, and hailed its Centre for Stem Cell Research for completing India's first-in-human gene therapy trial for Hemophilia A.
Summary
On 10 October 2025 Union Science Minister Dr Jitendra Singh virtually inaugurated the 10th Annual Cell and Gene Therapy Symposium at the Christian Medical College (CMC), Vellore, organised by the Centre for Stem Cell Research (CSCR) with Department of Biotechnology support, and a new 42-bed medium-cost psychiatry ward. He hailed CSCR — a translational unit of inStem, Bengaluru, under DBT — for completing India's first-in-human gene therapy trial for Hemophilia A, an inherited bleeding disorder caused by lack of clotting Factor VIII. The approach used lentiviral vectors instead of the commonly used AAV, widened patient eligibility, and showed sustained Factor VIII expression with no bleeding episodes. He said India ranks 3rd in Asia-Pacific and 12th globally in biomanufacturing, and the bioeconomy has grown from $10 billion in 2014 to nearly $170 billion, projected to reach $300 billion by 2030.
Key facts
- Milestone
- India's first-in-human gene therapy trial for Hemophilia A
- Centre
- CSCR, CMC Vellore — translational unit of inStem (DBT)
- Method
- Lentiviral vectors (not AAV); sustained Factor VIII, no bleeds
- Event
- 10th Cell and Gene Therapy Symposium; 42-bed psychiatry ward
- Bioeconomy
- $10 bn (2014) → ~$170 bn; $300 bn by 2030
- Biomanufacturing rank
- 3rd Asia-Pacific, 12th global
Practice MCQs 2 questions
CMC Vellore's Centre for Stem Cell Research recently completed India's first-in-human gene therapy trial for which disease?
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Correct answer: D — Hemophilia A
PIB: Dr Jitendra Singh lauded CSCR for completing India's first-in-human gene therapy trial for Hemophilia A, a bleeding disorder caused by deficiency of clotting Factor VIII.
Consider the following statements: 1. The Hemophilia A gene therapy at CMC Vellore used AAV vectors instead of lentiviral vectors. 2. According to Dr Jitendra Singh, India ranks 3rd in Asia-Pacific and 12th globally in biomanufacturing. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: B — 2 only
Only 2 is correct. PIB: CSCR used lentiviral vectors instead of the commonly used AAV (the reverse of statement 1); the Minister said India ranks 3rd in Asia-Pacific and 12th globally in biomanufacturing.