Advertisement

US drug firm says it can cure blindness - but it’s going to cost an arm and a leg

Spark Therapeutics says US$425,000 per eye is a reasonable price to pay for its gene-therapy injections

Reading Time:2 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
Dr Albert Maguire, right, checks the eyes of Misa Kaabali, 8, at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia in October. Misa was four when he received the Luxturna gene therapy that restored his sight. Photo: AP

A drug whose inventors claim it can cure a rare form of blindness is to be one of the most expensive medicines ever sold at US$850,000.

Advertisement

Luxturna is injected directly into the eye to address the root cause of visual impairment by replacing a defective gene in the retina. It is the first gene therapy to be approved for use in the US, and was given the go-ahead by the Federal Drug Administration last month. However, the price of the treatment has only just been revealed.

Spark Therapeutics, the company behind the treatment, had previously claimed the treatment was worth US$1million, citing the cost of a lifetime of blindness in lost earnings and wages for carers. But the firm said it had settled for the lower price of US$850,000, or US$425,000 per eye. It will also offer ways to spread the cost to health insurers, which have expressed concern about their ability to cover the expense.
This photo provided by Spark Therapeutics shows the company’s Luxturna treatment for blindness. Photo: AP
This photo provided by Spark Therapeutics shows the company’s Luxturna treatment for blindness. Photo: AP

“We wanted to balance the value and the affordability concerns with a responsible price that would ensure access to patients,” said Spark Therapeutics’ chief executive, Jeff Marrazzo.

Luxturna is one of an emerging breed of gene therapies that differ from more established medicines administered over a period of time. Such treatments involve a one-off procedure to alter defective DNA, allowing the body to repair the problem itself.

Advertisement

They include a treatment for haemophilia and another for so-called “bubble baby” syndrome, where sufferers have to live in a sterile environment, which is to be offered on the NHS despite a £500,000 price tag.

Advertisement