Tata Memorial Hospital develops first oral chemo drug for Leukaemia patients

Mumbai: Children with blood cancer will now be given syrup instead of bitter pills. Tata Hospital is researching a chemotherapy drug.

In the treatment of leukaemia in children, oral chemotherapy used to involve pills. But now syrup has been developed instead. In collaboration with Tata Memorial Hospital, Advance Center for Training Research and Education in Cancer, IDRS Lab (Bangalore), ‘Mercaptopurine’, a drug taken in powder form for chemotherapy, will now be useful for pediatric patients.

Children with blood cancer were given these pills according to their weight. However, giving small doses of pills is sometimes a problem. This syrup will solve this problem. This syrup is available in powder form in primary stages and is a patented technology of IDRS Labs Pvt. 

It was announced at a conference in Chennai on November 25. It became available at Tata Cancer Hospital earlier this month. Soon this medicine will be available in all major hospitals of the country. Approximately 10,000 children between the ages of 1 and 10 will get medical benefits every year.

Dr Girish Chinnaswamy, Head of the Children’s Cancer Department, said that all types of cancers are treated at Tata Hospital. They are given the best patient care. This medicine in syrup form will help children. Any hesitation they may have about taking medicine will go away.

Dr Vikram Gota, Professor of the Clinical Pharmacology Department, said that the basic properties of these medicines are not affected in any kind of environment like hot and humid.

Dr. Sudeep Gupta, Director of Tata Memorial Center said that the research going on at different levels regarding drugs will be useful in cancer treatment. A team effort with the help of such experimental research institutes at Tata Cancer Hospital definitely helps, he said.

This medicine is available in powder form.

The packaging of these medicines contains pure water. With the help of a dropper, water is added to this powder and its syrup is prepared. Academic Director of Tata Cancer Hospital Dr. Sripad Banavali said that the syrup will save the patients from the bitter pill.

Currently, this drug is available in America as well as Europe.