Two children with SMA died in Russia and Kazakhstan while being treated with Zolgensma

The Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis announced the death of two patients under the age of two from Russia and Kazakhstan diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy. Both children died of acute liver failure after treatment with the genetic drug Zolgensma.

According to Reuters, the company reported the incident to health authorities in countries where the drug is served. The statement also says that Novartis has "an overall favorable risk-benefit profile for Zolgensma."

In both cases, death occurred after 5-6 weeks of infusion and 1-10 days after the start of a gradual reduction in the dose of corticosteroids (anti-inflammatory drugs).

Recall that the drug officially appeared in Russia in July. The first three packages were used by the Moscow Morozov Children's Hospital and the National Medical Research Center for Children's Health. This is the most expensive medicine in the world - it costs more than 2 million dollars.

Russian scientists are now working on the creation of a domestic analogue of Zolgensma . Thanks to the localization of production, it should become ten times cheaper than the original, the monopoly high price for which is kept by a Swiss pharmaceutical company.