Supreme Court directs Centre to create online portal for autism patients undergoing stem cell therapy

Key facts

• The Supreme Court, in an order passed on October 13, 2026 by a bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan, directed the Centre to create a dedicated online portal within six weeks for patients undergoing stem cell therapy for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
• Patients who commenced stem cell therapy for ASD on or before January 30, 2026, along with their parents, guardians, caregivers, treating medical practitioners and clinics, must register on the portal and may continue therapy until the randomised controlled trial (RCT) is established, as a strictly temporary arrangement.
• The court's January 30, 2026 order had prohibited stem cell therapy for ASD as a routine clinical service, permitting it only within approved and monitored clinical trials or research settings.
• The Centre's affidavit of September 28 stated that no clinical trial application had been received pursuant to the January 30 order, and proposed an Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)-funded multicentre RCT at two tertiary care sites, one in north India and one in south India, within six months.
• The court gave the Centre six weeks to issue a comprehensive protocol explaining the regulatory regime for stem cell use in ASD research and clinical trials, and ordered public information on the Ministry of Health's website stating that stem cell therapy for ASD is not permissible as a clinical service outside approved research settings.
• The court allowed the Parents' Forum for Stem Cells in Autism and Cerebral Palsy to make suggestions on the RCT design and sought a compliance report before the next hearing on December 14.