UK health system to offer cutting-edge gene therapy for sickle cell disease
LONDON, Jan 31 (Reuters) - Britain's National Health Service (NHS) will provide a cutting-edge gene therapy that aims to cure sickle cell disease, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) said on Friday.
The therapy from Vertex Pharmaceuticals VRTX.O and CRISPR Therapeutics CRSP.BN will cost the state-funded healthcare system around 1.65 million pounds ($2.1 million) per course.
Britain's MHRA medical regulator in 2023 became the first in the world to approve the therapy, which uses the gene-editing tool CRISPR.
NICE, which assesses whether new medical technologies can be used in the NHS, said the treatment would be suitable for around 50 patients per year.
Sickle cell disease is a serious and lifelong condition caused by errors in the genes for haemoglobin, which is used by red blood cells to carry oxygen around the body.
The therapy involves taking stem cells out of a patient's bone marrow and editing a gene in the cells in a laboratory and then infusing them back into the patient.
The same technology was approved for use in the NHS in August to treat beta thalassemia, another rare blood disorder.
($1 = 0.8039 pounds)
Related Articles
Warsh’s Fed Era Signals a Death Knell for QE, Jolting the $30 Trillion Treasury Market
With Warsh’s nomination, his past proposals for governing the Federal Reserve are being brought to the forefront. A central issue is the formulation of a new "1951 Accord" to restructure the relationship between the Fed and the Treasury. Analysts suggest such a move could impact the $30 trillion Tre
Amazon Stock Predictions for 2026 to 2030: Will They Exceed Expectations and Achieve Major Long-Term Goals?
TradingKey - As we head into 2026, many investors are questioning where Amazon (AMZN) fits into the technology world.
A Crash After a Surge: Why Silver Lost 40% in a Week?
TradingKey - Spot silver (XAGUSD) prices continue to decline. Silver plunged 20% on Thursday, breaking below $71 per ounce, with the sell-off intensifying on Friday as prices fell further below $64. Compared to the all-time high set on January 29, silver prices have retraced more than 40%, wiping out nearly all gains accumulated over the previous month.
USD Dollar Trend Forecast: Dollar Index Falls Below 97.0 to 4-Year Low, Will the Dollar Continue To Fall or Bottom Out in 2026?
TradingKey - In January 2026, the US Dollar Index continued its downward trend from 2025, officially breaking below the key 97.0 level and reaching a low of 95.5, marking a nearly four-year low since February 2022.
