Parents End Duchenne Protests After Reaching Agreement With Government
By Messenger Staff
Friday, June 5, 2026
Parents of children diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) have announced an end to their month-long protests after reaching an agreement with government officials on steps to secure access to treatment.
Following a second day of meetings with parents, Georgian Dream Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said the sides had reached an agreement regarding several medications and would establish a working group to advance the process. He said the medications would not be named publicly at this stage and that a final procurement decision would depend on factors including the terms offered by pharmaceutical companies.
"We can say for certain that this is a victory, the decision has already been made," parent Tako Gogaladze told journalists after the meeting. She said two medications are expected to be introduced initially and announced the end of the rallies, which have been ongoing outside the Government Administration building for more than a month.
Georgian Dream Health Minister Mikheil Sarjveladze described the working group as "critically important and necessary" and said parents and patients would be kept informed about developments.
Around 100 children in Georgia are believed to live with DMD, a rare genetic disorder that primarily affects boys and causes progressive muscle deterioration.
Parents had been campaigning for more than a year for state funding of newer treatments, including givinostat and vamorolone, arguing that they can help slow the progression of the disease. The protests intensified in April with round-the-clock demonstrations in Tbilisi.
Government officials had previously expressed reservations about the treatments, citing questions over their effectiveness and their high cost. The campaign also drew support from the Georgian Orthodox Church and a fundraising initiative by students at Ilia State University, which raised more than GEL 1.5 million for affected families.
