Google
Trusted Resources: News & Events
Latest announcements and gatherings
Sickle Cell Disease Approvals Include First CRISPR Gene Editing Therapy
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently greenlit 2 cell-based gene treatments for sickle cell anemia, including the first therapy involving the genome editing technology known as CRISPR-Cas9 (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats–CRISPER-associated protein 9).
Both treatments are approved for people aged 12 years or older and work by modifying people’s own blood stem cells and then transplanting them into their bodies via a single-dose infusion. They change blood cells in different ways, though.
Casgevy—the CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing treatment—increases fetal hemoglobin levels. Higher levels of fetal hemoglobin help stop red blood cells from sickling, improving blood flow and preventing painful vaso-occlusive crises. Twenty-nine of 31 trial participants who were followed up long enough to be evaluated did not have severe vaso-occlusive crises for at least 1 year after the treatment, the FDA news release reported.
Lyfgenia, the second treatment, genetically modifies blood stem cells to produce a form of hemoglobin that is similar to hemoglobin A but, like fetal hemoglobin, is also less prone to sickling. Within 18 months of treatment, 28 of 32 trial participants did not experience any vaso-occlusive episodes, according to the news release.
Adverse effects for both treatments include low platelet and white blood cell counts. Lyfgenia also carries a black box warning on the risk of blood cancer.
+myBinderRelated Content
-
10th Annual Sickle Cell Disease Therapeutics Conference – VirtualThe Annual Sickle Cell Disease Therapeut...
-
Kathryn Hassell, MDDr. Hassell provides inpatient and outpa...
-
Marijuana Use and Health Behaviors in a US Clinic Sample of Patients With Sickle Cell DiseaseIntroduction: As marijuana use becomes ...
-
Sickle Cell Disease Program at Children’s HealthThe Sickle Cell Disease Program at Child...
-
Jeffrey Lebensburger, MDDr. Lebensburger is a graduate of the Un...
-
2017 LEADERSHIP SUMMIT & GENERAL ASSEMBLYThe Sickle Cell Community Consortium is ...
-
Opioid Abuse Backlash Could Hurt Sickle Cell Patients’ Medication Needs, Some FearWith drug overdoses now the leading caus...
To improve your experience on this site, we use cookies. This includes cookies essential for the basic functioning of our website, cookies for analytics purposes, and cookies enabling us to personalize site content. By clicking on 'Accept' or any content on this site, you agree that cookies can be placed. You may adjust your browser's cookie settings to suit your preferences. More Information
The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this.
Powered by
Support for this site is provided by
This platform is made possible through a partnership with the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America, Inc. (SCDAA) and its member organizations. SCDAA's mission is to advocate for people affected by sickle cell conditions and empower community-based organizations to maximize quality of life and raise public consciousness while advancing the search for a universal cure.