APR March 2024 - 52

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DRUG DEVELOPMENT
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Battling Exorbitance:
High Costs in Sickle Cell
Gene Therapies and the
Imperative of Global
Patient Registries for Equity
Harsha K Rajasimha, PhD
Founder and CEO
Jeeva Clinical Trials
In recent years, transformative strides in the treatment of sickle
cell disease (SCD) have materialized with the FDA's approval of
groundbreaking cell-based gene therapies. Notably, in December 2023,
the FDA granted approval for Casgevy from Vertex Pharmaceuticals
and Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats
(CRISPR) Therapeutics and Lyfgenia, by Bluebird Bio, for people aged
12 and older.1
This significant milestone represents a remarkable
leap forward in our capacity to combat the complexities of sickle
cell disease, offering newfound hope to indivi)duals grappling with
this often debilitating condition. However, as we celebrate these
achievements, it's crucial to acknowledge the parallel challenge posed
by the high price tags associated with these cutting-edge therapies.
This article delves into the challenging landscape of biotech and
pharma's fight against exorbitant costs in sickle cell gene therapies,
emphasizing the crucial role of global patient registries in achieving
equity in access.
Exploring Recent FDA Approvals
in Sickle Cell Gene Therapies,
Innovation, Efficacy, and the
Quest for Equitable Access
The innovative gene therapy treatments represent a departure from
conventional approaches, offering a glimmer of hope for patients who
have long grappled with the limitations of existing treatments. While
their approval marks a milestone in medical advancement, the stark
reality of their exorbitant costs casts a shadow over the accessibility of
these groundbreaking therapies.
For instance, Vertex announced that Casgevy, one of the approved
gene therapies, will be priced at $2.2 million, while Bluebird set the
wholesale price of Lyfgenia at $3.1 million. The Institute for Clinical
and Economic Review, an entity advising drugmakers and payers,
52 |
| March 2024

APR March 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of APR March 2024

Message from the Editor
Editorial Advisory Board
BIOPHARMACEUTICALS - Getting to GMP-Quality Biotherapeutics From Today’s Bench-Scale Continuous Manufacturing Systems: A Gap Analysis
MICROBIOLOGY - Critical Behavioral Attributes and the Application of COM-B Framework in Aseptic Processing
FORMULATION AND DEVELOPMENT - Use of AUC in AAV Analysis in a GMP Setting
FORMULATION AND DEVELOPMENT - Precision Medicine in Clinical Trials: A Statistical Perspective
An Interview with Dan Smithey, PhD President & CEO, Serán
FORMULATION AND DEVELOPMENT - Still Early Days for AI in Drug Discovery...Says Who?
QC Corner - Enhancing Material and Equipment Availability in Production Isolators
BIOPHARMACEUTICALS - Technologies for Aseptic Filling: The Choice is Clear
Vendor Viewpoint - Data Integrity and Rapid Micro Methods: Transforming to a Modern Microbiology Lab
MICROBIOLOGY - Bacterial Spore Formers in Disinfectant Efficacy Testing
Partner Perspective - Nanoparticle Technologies: Enablers for Ocular Drug Delivery
DRUG DELIVERY - Your Nails and You
DRUG DEVELOPMENT - Battling Exorbitance: High Costs in Sickle Cell Gene Therapies and the Imperative of Global Patient Registries for Equity
FORMULATION AND DEVELOPMENT - How Pharma Companies Are Solving Regulatory Challenges with AI-based Technology
Event Preview - CPHI North America
Event Preview - Excipient World 2024
P.I.N. Points
Advertiser's Index
APR March 2024 - CoverTip01
APR March 2024 - CoverTip02
APR March 2024 - Cover1
APR March 2024 - Cover2
APR March 2024 - 1
APR March 2024 - 2
APR March 2024 - 3
APR March 2024 - 4
APR March 2024 - 5
APR March 2024 - Message from the Editor
APR March 2024 - Editorial Advisory Board
APR March 2024 - BIOPHARMACEUTICALS - Getting to GMP-Quality Biotherapeutics From Today’s Bench-Scale Continuous Manufacturing Systems: A Gap Analysis
APR March 2024 - 9
APR March 2024 - 10
APR March 2024 - 11
APR March 2024 - 12
APR March 2024 - 13
APR March 2024 - MICROBIOLOGY - Critical Behavioral Attributes and the Application of COM-B Framework in Aseptic Processing
APR March 2024 - 15
APR March 2024 - 16
APR March 2024 - 17
APR March 2024 - 18
APR March 2024 - FORMULATION AND DEVELOPMENT - Use of AUC in AAV Analysis in a GMP Setting
APR March 2024 - 20
APR March 2024 - 21
APR March 2024 - 22
APR March 2024 - 23
APR March 2024 - FORMULATION AND DEVELOPMENT - Precision Medicine in Clinical Trials: A Statistical Perspective
APR March 2024 - 25
APR March 2024 - 26
APR March 2024 - 27
APR March 2024 - An Interview with Dan Smithey, PhD President & CEO, Serán
APR March 2024 - 29
APR March 2024 - 30
APR March 2024 - FORMULATION AND DEVELOPMENT - Still Early Days for AI in Drug Discovery...Says Who?
APR March 2024 - 32
APR March 2024 - 33
APR March 2024 - QC Corner - Enhancing Material and Equipment Availability in Production Isolators
APR March 2024 - 35
APR March 2024 - BIOPHARMACEUTICALS - Technologies for Aseptic Filling: The Choice is Clear
APR March 2024 - 37
APR March 2024 - 38
APR March 2024 - 39
APR March 2024 - Vendor Viewpoint - Data Integrity and Rapid Micro Methods: Transforming to a Modern Microbiology Lab
APR March 2024 - 41
APR March 2024 - MICROBIOLOGY - Bacterial Spore Formers in Disinfectant Efficacy Testing
APR March 2024 - 43
APR March 2024 - Partner Perspective - Nanoparticle Technologies: Enablers for Ocular Drug Delivery
APR March 2024 - 45
APR March 2024 - 46
APR March 2024 - 47
APR March 2024 - DRUG DELIVERY - Your Nails and You
APR March 2024 - 49
APR March 2024 - 50
APR March 2024 - 51
APR March 2024 - DRUG DEVELOPMENT - Battling Exorbitance: High Costs in Sickle Cell Gene Therapies and the Imperative of Global Patient Registries for Equity
APR March 2024 - 53
APR March 2024 - 54
APR March 2024 - 55
APR March 2024 - FORMULATION AND DEVELOPMENT - How Pharma Companies Are Solving Regulatory Challenges with AI-based Technology
APR March 2024 - 57
APR March 2024 - Event Preview - CPHI North America
APR March 2024 - 59
APR March 2024 - Event Preview - Excipient World 2024
APR March 2024 - 61
APR March 2024 - P.I.N. Points
APR March 2024 - 63
APR March 2024 - Advertiser's Index
APR March 2024 - Cover3
APR March 2024 - Cover4
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