Cases of Fairbank’s Disease and Acromegaly in India

The Fairbank’s disease (Multiple epiphyseal dysplasia) patient usually requires management of pain and orthopedic procedures, for which facilities are available at tertiary care institutions in India.

Another rare disorder, Acromegaly is caused by excessive secretion of growth hormone, most often from a tumor in the pituitary gland. The disorder causes increased height when it manifests in childhood and adolescent age group, before the fusion of bony epiphysis.

Both the diseases’ patients are getting treatment at various tertiary health facilities like Medical Colleges, Central Institutes like AIIMS, Central Government hospitals where treatment is available at free or subsidized rates besides in tertiary care private hospitals. The somatostatin drug used for Acromegaly, is a scheduled drug as per the National List of Essential Medicines 2015. Therefore, the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority has fixed the ceiling price.

The Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Dr. Bharati Pravin Pawar stated this in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.