{
  "id": 15197349,
  "title": "Supreme Court orders autism patients on stem cell therapy to register on Centre’s portal",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/17/supreme-court-orders-autism-patients-on-stem-cell-therapy-to-register",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-10-17T12:32:49.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Hindustan Times",
    "slug": "hindustan-times",
    "url": "https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/supreme-court-orders-autism-patients-on-stem-cell-therapy-to-register-on-centre-s-portal-101792240369595.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Supreme Court has directed the Union to establish a dedicated online portal for patients receiving stem cell therapy for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) within six weeks, as reported on October 13. The court emphasized that this portal must be created by the specified date, following its January 30 order that only allowed stem cell therapy within an approved and monitored clinical trial or research setting. The portal is to collect comprehensive patient data, including medical records and details of the treating practitioners, to ensure appropriate safeguards for confidentiality and security. The court also directed the Center to propose a multicenter randomized controlled trial (RCT) to be set up at two tertiary care sites, funded by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), to shift ASD patients already undergoing stem cell therapy into a regulated research framework. While the RCT had been proposed, it lacked eligibility criteria for existing patients and did not provide a uniform platform for information sharing. The court granted the Center six weeks to issue a comprehensive protocol outlining the regulatory regime governing the use of stem cells in research and clinical trials for ASD. It stressed the importance of clear information for the public, preventing patients and families from pursuing such treatments illegally. The court also asked the Center to consider the mechanism for patients excluded from receiving the intervention under the RCT, ensuring continued medical supervision and follow-up.",
  "summary": "The Centre must launch a portal for autism patients undergoing stem cell therapy and issue a protocol explaining rules for clinical trials and research, the SC said.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}