A $665,000 cure for ‘bubble boy’ immune deficiency disease
A cure for severe combined immunodeficiency, or SCID, may have been developed, but it comes with an eye-popping price tag, according to STAT.
SCID is the rare genetic disorder made famous by the 1977 documentary “The Boy in the Bubble,” which depicted young David Vetter living his life in isolation due to his extreme vulnerability to infection. While Vetter lived to be 12 years old, most children with SCID die before the age of 2.
Using a gene therapy called Strimvelis, developed by GlaxoSmithKline, all patients in a small clinical trial were alive after three years, which earned the treatment approval from European regulators.
For more on this expensive cure—and why its developer argued the $665,000 price is a bargain compared to other treatment options—click on the linke below:
John joined TriMed in 2016, focusing on healthcare policy and regulation. After graduating from Columbia College Chicago, he worked at FM News Chicago and Rivet News Radio, and worked on the state government and politics beat for the Illinois Radio Network. Outside of work, you may find him adding to his never-ending graphic novel collection.