SAN FRANCISCO (TheStreet) -- Bluebird Bio (BLUE) has now treated seven beta-thalassemia patients with its experimental, one-time gene therapy. Four of the patients -- all followed for longer than three months -- are producing enough oxygen-carrying hemoglobin on their own to eliminate the need for chronic blood transfusions. <\/p>\n
Two of these super-responding beta-thalassemia patients -- followed for a year and nine months, respectively -- have hemoglobin levels of healthy adults. At this point, a single infusion of Bluebird's gene therapy has essentially cured them of this serious, inherited blood disease. <\/p>\n
The remaining three beta-thalassemia patients were infused with Bluebird's gene therapy around one month ago so it's too early to assess their response. A single patient with sickle cell disease was also just treated within the past month. <\/p>\n
It's still unreasonable to expect an equivalent strong response in every patient, but Bluebird is learning that as its therapy replaces the defective gene causing beta-thalassemia (or sickle cell disease) with a gene that is fully functional, the patient's ability to produce normal-functioning hemoglobin improves over time, said CEO Nick Leschly. <\/p>\n
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More: SAN FRANCISCO (TheStreet) -- Bluebird Bio (BLUE) has now treated seven beta-thalassemia patients with its experimental, one-time gene therapy. Four of the patients -- all followed for longer than three months -- are producing enough oxygen-carrying hemoglobin on their own to eliminate the need for chronic blood transfusions. Continue reading
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