Lubin was born with sickle cell disease, a genetic illness that causes abnormal ‘C’-shaped red blood cells that clog blood flow, causing severe pain episodes and organ damage. The CRISPR-based gene therapy Lubin received is made by Vertex Pharmaceuticals, and developed in partnership with CRISPR Therapeutics. Sickle cell disease is a genetic condition that affects approximately 100,000 Americans – primarily Black Americans with African ancestry, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Given the high cost of treating repeat pain crisis over the lifetime of a person with sickle cell disease, some insurance providers have opted to cover the new treatments. And the Biden Administration has created a new access model for Medicaid patients, designed to lower the medication cost and improve access to gene therapy.

Source: Ethiopian News February 16, 2024 12:09 UTC