* European Commission clears Glybera for ultra rare disease <\/p>\n
* UniQure drug is first gene therapy to reach market in West <\/p>\n
* Glybera likely to cost around $1.6 million per patient <\/p>\n
* Final EU approval follows positive recommendation in July (Adds interview with company CEO, pricing details, background) <\/p>\n
By Ben Hirschler <\/p>\n
LONDON, Nov 2 (Reuters) - European officials have approved the Western world's first gene therapy drug from a small Dutch biotech company, in a milestone for the novel medical technology that fixes faulty genes. <\/p>\n
The formal clearance from the European Commission paves the way for a launch next summer of the treatment for an ultra rare genetic disease that will cost around 1.2 million euros ($1.6 million) per patient, a new record for pricey modern medicines. <\/p>\n
After more than 20 years of experiments and a series of disappointments, the EU approval of Glybera, which treats the genetic disorder lipoprotein lipase deficiency (LPLD), is a significant boost for the gene therapy field. <\/p>\n
Joern Aldag, chief executive of Amsterdam-based uniQure, said more such treatments would follow and argued a high price was justified because gene therapy restored natural body function and did not just offer a short-term fix. <\/p>\n
\"This provides higher benefit to patients than the classical protein replacement strategy and this is why we think we should be fairly and adequately compensated,\" he said in a telephone interview on Friday. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
The rest is here: <\/p>\n
UPDATE 1-Europe approves high-price gene therapy<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" * European Commission clears Glybera for ultra rare disease * UniQure drug is first gene therapy to reach market in West * Glybera likely to cost around $1.6 million per patient * Final EU approval follows positive recommendation in July (Adds interview with company CEO, pricing details, background) By Ben Hirschler LONDON, Nov 2 (Reuters) - European officials have approved the Western world's first gene therapy drug from a small Dutch biotech company, in a milestone for the novel medical technology that fixes faulty genes. The formal clearance from the European Commission paves the way for a launch next summer of the treatment for an ultra rare genetic disease that will cost around 1.2 million euros ($1.6 million) per patient, a new record for pricey modern medicines. Continue reading