Future of gene therapy treatments burdened by vast medical costs
The Food and Drug Administration recently approved the first commercially available gene therapy in the US, giving Novartis clearance to offer the leukemia treatment to patients for $475,000. The decision could clear the way for the introduction of immensely expensive gene therapy treatment options. The cost has led to criticism from doctors towards drug manufacturers, who maintain that the value of the drug should reflect the value of the treatment for the patient, as well as covering the cost of making such specific therapies.
The first gene therapy treatment in the United States was approved recently by the Food and Drug Administration, heralding a new era in medicine that is coming faster than most realize — and that perhaps few can afford.

The treatment, Kymriah, made by Novartis, is spectacularly effective against a rare form of leukemia, bringing remissions when all conventional options have failed. It will cost $475,000.

With gene therapy, scientists seek to treat or prevent disease by modifying cellular DNA. Many such treatments are in the wings: There are 34 in the final stages of testing necessary for F.D.A. approval, and another 470 in initial clinical trials, according to the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine, an advocacy group.

The therapies are aimed at extremely rare diseases with few patients; most are meant to cure with a single injection or procedure. But the costs, like that of Kymriah, are expected to be astronomical, alarming medical researchers and economists.