The U.S. government has a new plan to help people with sickle cell disease (SCD) get a special treatment called gene therapy. SCD is a painful illness that mostly affects Black Americans. People with SCD often have a harder time getting good healthcare and don’t live as long as people without the disease.
Gene therapy is a new type of treatment that could really help people with SCD, but it’s very expensive. It can cost between $2 million and $3.5 million for just one dose. To make gene therapy easier to get, the government is starting a program in January 2025. It will bring together different government agencies, states, and the companies that make gene therapies.
The goal is to help state Medicaid programs work with the companies to make deals so more people can afford the treatment. Medicaid is a government health insurance program that helps people with lower incomes.
Xavier Becerra, who is in charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, said it’s important to help the more than 100,000 Americans with SCD get better healthcare and treatments.
This new program is part of a bigger plan by the government to find ways to lower the cost of medicines, help people get newer treatments, and make sure everyone, especially those who often have a harder time getting good healthcare, can get the care they need.
See: “Can Gene Therapy Be Affordable? U.S. Tries New Access Model in Sickle Cell Disease” on the Inside Precision Medicine website (February 7, 2024)
