By Chris Reidy, Globe Staff <\/p>\n
bluebird bio, a Cambridge company that eschews capital letters, said in a Friday press release that the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine has approved a $9.3 million award to support the development one of bluebird bios gene therapies. <\/p>\n
The award will support the testing of a gene therapy called LentiGlobin, said the company, which also has an office in San Francisco. <\/p>\n
LentiGlobin is designed to treat beta-thalassemia, an inherited blood disorder that causes the body to have an inadequate amount of functional hemoglobin; in its most severe form, patients typically require life-long monthly supportive red blood cell transfusions to treat their severe anemia, according to bluebird bios website. <\/p>\n
According to bluebird bio, LentiGlobin is a one-time transformative gene therapy for patients with beta-thalassemia. <\/p>\n
The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine was established in November 2004 with the passage of Proposition 71, the California Stem Cell Research and Cures Act. The statewide ballot measure provided $3 billion in funding for stem cell research. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Originally posted here:<\/p>\n
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