US drug firm offers cure for blindness – at $425,000 an eye

Spark Therapeutics says ‘responsible price’ for Luxturna gene therapy ensures access for patients with retinal defect

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 $850,000 (£630,000).

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.

Continue reading... January 03, 2018 at 11:45PM