The Minister of State (Health and Family Welfare), Shri Ashwini Kumar Choubey had stated in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on proton therapy for cancer and has also updated on clinical trial rules in India.

Proton Therapy: As informed by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), it is aware of advances in proton therapy, a type of Radiation therapy, which is also called proton beam therapy. It uses protons rather than x-rays to treat cancer. At high energy, protons can destroy cancer cells. It can also be combined with x-ray radiation therapy, surgery, chemotherapy, and/or immunotherapy. Like x-ray radiation, proton therapy is a type of external-beam radiation therapy.

In the Government sector, research activities for detection and treatment of cancer are mostly carried out by Institutions/Departments such as Indian Council of Medical Research, Department of Science and Technology and Department of Atomic Energy. National Cancer Institute (Jhajjar) of All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi has also collaborated with National Cancer Institute of USA. As informed by Tata Memorial Centre (TMC), a grant-in-aid Institution under Department of Atomic Energy, it has initiated collaboration with Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), C-CAD, RRCAT, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), KEK university Japan etc.

Clinical Trial Rules: Draft New Drugs & Clinical Trials Rules, 2018 were published on 01-02-2018 inviting public/stakeholder comments. In the light of certain provisions of the said draft Rules, WHO expressed apprehension that there was a possibility that sponsors may not conduct clinical trials in India.

Subsequent to the deliberations and meetings on the Draft Rules, the New Drugs and Clinical Trial Rules, 2019 were notified on 19-03-2019.

The Minister of State Ashwini Kumar Choubey has stated in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on proton therapy for cancer and clinical trial rules in India