U.S. FDA approves first gene therapies to treat patients with sickle cell disease

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 8 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Friday approved two milestone treatments, Casgevy and Lyfgenia, representing the first cell-based gene therapies for the treatment of sickle cell disease in patients 12 years and older.

One of these therapies, Casgevy, is the first FDA-approved treatment to utilize a type of novel genome editing technology, signaling an innovative advancement in the field of gene therapy, the FDA said in a statement.