FDA Approves First CRISPR Gene Therapy, Affordability Questions Remain

Updated Story FDA approved for the first time a CRISPR-based genetic therapy, the sickle cell treatment exagamglogene autotemcel (exa-cel), a major step forward for the highly watched technology considered by many to have great potential for addressing genetic diseases. It also approved a second gene therapy therapy using more established technology, lovotibeglogene autotemcel (lovo-cel). But major questions remain about how payers will cover the therapies, which will cost millions of dollars per patient for a one-time treatment...