Bluebird, CRISPR gain as pricing group reviews sickle-cell disease therapies

Crispr Therapeutics AG

13/04/2023 13:15

** Shares of U.S.-listed gene therapy companies bluebird bio
 BLUE.O  and CRISPR Therapeutics  CRSP.O  rise before the bell
    ** BLUE up ~4% at $2.90 and CRSP up 2.1% at $44.39 premarket
    ** Independent drug pricing review group ICER said in a
draft report on Wednesday that CRSP and BLUE's one-time gene
editing therapy for sickle-cell disease would be cost effective
if priced at up to $1.9 million
    ** ICER's draft report said a price range for both the
therapies between $1.2 mln and $1.7 mln annually would meet some
commonly used thresholds for cost effectiveness, in the
healthcare system perspective
    ** CRSP's therapy, which it is developing along with Vertex
Pharmaceuticals  VRTX.O , could become the world's first therapy
based on Nobel prize-winning CRISPR technology upon approval
    ** BLUE's therapy works by adding a gene to a patient's
blood stem cells that can help the body produce anti-sickling
hemoglobin
    ** As of last close, BLUE down ~60% YTD while CRSP is up ~7%

 (Reporting by Bhanvi Satija in Bengaluru)
 ((Bhanvi.Satija@thomsonreuters.com; Outside U.S. +91
9873062788;))