(New York Times) – Gene therapies for rare diseases are frequently developed then discarded by drug companies because they can’t afford to produce the treatment for more patients.

The problem is economics. The science is there to cure Mr. Atteberry’s condition, a subtype of chronic granulomatous disease, or CGD. But it costs so much to develop a treatment and get it approved that even when a company decides to start along this path, it often abandons the effort.

In part, that is because there are so few patients. Only about 200 people in the United States share Mr. Atteberry’s genetic condition, according to Prime Medicine’s chief medical officer, Dr. Mohammed Asmal. But only about 50 of them might be eligible for gene editing, Dr. Asmal said. (Read More)