Hyderabad, 18 August 2026: The Thalassemia & Sickle Cell Society (TSCS) today announced its efforts to bring gene therapy access to thalassemia patients across India, following an exploratory visit to leading treatment centers in Thailand.
As part of this initiative, a TSCS delegation traveled to Thailand & other countries recognized as the foremost destinations for gene therapy in thalassemia care — to evaluate treatment protocols, infrastructure, and potential collaboration opportunities. The visit was undertaken in partnership with Dr. Sunil Bhat, one of India‘s most accomplished bone marrow transplant (BMT) specialists, and his team.
The delegation included Dr. Chandrakant Agarwal, President – TSCS, Dr. Suman Jain, Chief Medical Research Officer & Secretary, Mr Naresh Rathi, Vice President and Dr. Nishant Mittal Scientist.
Together with Dr. Sunil Bhat and his team, the group engaged in discussions aimed at understanding how gene therapy — an emerging and potentially transformative treatment option for thalassemia — could be made accessible to patients across the country.
“This visit marks a significant step forward in our mission to bring the most advanced treatment options to thalassemia patients across India,” said Dr. Chandrakant Agarwal, President of TSCS.
TSCS plans to build on this exploratory visit by working closely with medical experts and international partners to lay the groundwork for gene therapy access within India, to reduce patients‘ dependence on lifelong blood transfusions and improve long-term outcomes.