WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Kendric Cromer, a 12-year-old with sickle cell disease (SCD) in the U.S. became the first patient to receive newly approved gene therapy treatment at Children's National Hospital in D.C. with the possibility to be cured by next year.
Kendric and his family shared their experience with News4, discussing the potential impact of the treatment.
Dr. Andrew Campbell, Kendric's physician specializing in sickle cell disease, emphasized the significance of pain management and the potential organ complications associated with the illness, as the gene therapy procedure, involving the extraction and modification of Kendric's bone marrow stem cells, aims to alleviate his suffering.
The treatment process, although arduous and expensive, is covered by Kendric's insurance, offering hope for the Cromer family.
Children's National plans to help 10 sickle cell patients each year, out of their 1,500 SCD patients. The treatment is resource-intensive, leading to limited availability at select hospitals for a restricted number of patients. Current treatments involve costly medications and blood transfusions, which can deter patients due to financial barriers. Managing SCD comes with significant expenses, including therapies priced at millions of dollars, raising concerns about affordability.
Primarily affecting individuals of African, South Asian, and Middle Eastern descent, there are approximately 50 million people globally with SCD, with four to six million cases in Nigeria alone.
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