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

Crispr Therapeutics AG

13/04/2023 15:20

(Updates)
    ** Shares of bluebird bio  BLUE.O  and CRISPR Therapeutics
 CRSP.O  climb following pricing review of their one-time gene
editing therapies for sickle-cell disease 
    ** The therapies will be cost effective if priced at up to
$1.9 mln, independent drug pricing review group ICER said in a
draft report on Wednesday 
    ** 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 - ICER
in draft report 
    ** bluebird bio gains 14.4% to $3.19, while CRISPR  CRSP.O 
rises 5.5% to $45.8 in morning trade
    ** 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
    ** BLUE has tumbled 33% in last 12 months while CRSP is down
28% during the same period

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