Opinion: New sickle cell disease CRISPR treatments can’t make up for the shortage of adult hematologists
After decades of limited progress in the treatment of sickle cell disease (SCD), both patients and physicians are on the verge of monumental change. On Friday, the Food and Drug Administration approved Vertex/CRISPR Therapeutics’ Casgevy and Bluebird Bio’s Lyfgenia, the first one-time gene therapies that will treat the underlying cause of SCD rather than just the symptoms. They are the first therapeutic treatments using CRISPR gene editing technology approved by the FDA for any medical condition.
And yet, this still won’t be enough for most people living with SCD.
