BioCentury
ARTICLE | Clinical News

bluebird climbs on first LentiGlobin sickle cell data

May 22, 2015 1:15 AM UTC

bluebird bio Inc. (NASDAQ:BLUE) climbed $7.23 to $172.94 on Thursday after the company disclosed the first efficacy data for a sickle cell disease (SCD) patient treated with its LentiGlobin BB305 gene therapy. The data from the ongoing Phase I/II French HGB-205 study were included in an abstract published ahead of next month's European Hematology Association (EHA) meeting.

Sickle cell is caused by a point mutation in the beta globin gene that leads red blood cells to make abnormal hemoglobin, which polymerizes when deoxygenated, distorting the cells. LentiGlobin BB305 comprises autologous CD34+ stem cells transduced ex vivo with a lentiviral vector delivering the human beta globin gene. The therapy is given via autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). ...