Gene Therapy Now Coming into the Mainstream as Treatment Option for Serious Diseases
Roche’s acquisition of Spark Therapeutics confirms that gene therapy has finally made its debut as a treatment option for serious diseases
Chemotherapy, radiation, and more recently, immunotherapy have been the primary treatments for patients with cancer, and there has been little progress in terms of “huge medical breakthroughs” for cancer treatment for many years. While industry and academia have conducted gene therapy research for decades, it has not been adopted on a large scale for treatment of common serious diseases.
For years, individuals and companies behind gene therapy have widely understood how this therapy can help treat diseases in which absent or deficient gene function plays a role; but overall, gene therapy has been slowly adopted.
“Gene therapy has had a long history of ups and downs in terms of advancement in science and in the clinic,” said Rodney Varner, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Genprex.
The recent announcement of Roche’s acquisition of Spark Therapeutics is a big event in the world of gene therapy. It confirms that pharmaceutical companies now realize they need to incorporate gene therapies into their portfolios of assets. The combined resources of these two companies will provide more therapies and options to patients with serious diseases. Furthermore, the acquisition demonstrates and legitimizes gene therapy as a treatment option for serious diseases, bringing to light the potential of gene therapy to help save and improve the lives of many people.
“It is clear that gene therapy is now being recognized as an important therapy option for many serious diseases,” said Varner. “Companies like Genprex have always understood the potential gene therapy offers for the medical industry. It is great to see gene therapy being accepted by major pharmaceutical companies and making its way to the patients who need it most.”